The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-06-23
Early Cut and Well Made Hay.


value of nicely cured carly-cut hay.
raised on deep, rich, clean, thoroughly |
cultivated soil, where regular rotation
IL practiced. l have cut my grass early |
for twelve years, and perhaps little OF
NV experience may waken up some who
are yet doubling to see the value of this
pra :tice.
Some years ago took twelve dairy
cows to winter, providing in the bar
gain with the owner that might
"-tripu them few weeks, as | wished
To make some butter for our own use.
The cows were brought here November
I7ih, and had not been fed anything,
getting only what they picked out of
,Inrrs. The first night my man stripped
faithfully, and got four quarts of milk.
lie laughed at me, and l presume the
owner laughed in his sleeve to think
how lie had sold Inc. Q had allowed
him few dollars for the privilege of
milking them awhile.) Nothing daunt-
ed, told my man to continue stripping
twice day and would feed, and my
turn to laugh would c1me by and by.
The cows we're fed early.cut timothy
and clover hay, with now aud then
feed of Hungarian (cut in blossom),
lightly at first, but after they got used
10 1t, all they would eat clean. They
had warm shelter, and water not colder
than SOC. They were fed nothing beside
what haye stated. In very short
time we were making six pounds o.
nice yellow butter day, and kept it up
for six weeks.
About the first of last November
bought q pair of six-year.old horses.
The man bought them of was an ex-
cellent horseman, and the horses were
in extra fine condition ("fxed mp to
SELL" some of the neighbors said).
They had been accustomed to grain
three times q day summer and winter.
gradually diminished the amount OF
grain aud increased the amount of hay
fed, until, at the end of one month, they
were getting nothing but early-cut tim.
othy and clover hay-all they would eat
clean three times day-and water, and
they have had nothing else since. They
weighed the day bought them 1850
pounds. At the end of two months, out
of curiosity, weighed them again, and
their weight then was 2,700 pounds.
At the end of another 80 days they
weighed 2,Sl0 pounds; after still an
other month, 1880; and now, after
we HAVE rt6Hme nDths. during which time
turn tne eCaies NJ ~ o' ihcy oio ~,
perfect health, and very fat. An old
farmer said, not long ago, that they
were the latest team he ever saw.
They pull the pillow, running 9 inches
deep, as though it was q plaything
Their former owner was in my stable
not long since and said to me: "It's
Is as good as common hay and OATS
ha I
answer In my last as to what l did fol
oats for my horses.
am not writing this TO brag up my
horses or hay-neither one is for sale =
but to call the attention of those who
still LET their grass stand too long, tC
the greater value it would have if Gu
early, particularly on clean, thoroughly
cultivated and highly manfred land
In regard to the value of such hay fol
feeding beef cattle, l will give you tn,
experience of an old and successful
farmer, who has kept steers ever
winter for so years. He said to me
81 can put as many pounds of flesh on
certain number of steers in the winter
in a warm barn, with the early-cut ha'
from ten acre lot, as those same steer
would have put on had they run in tn
nj Sow 85 sAteep 1atlAaeag;s 40 Rot itugyfMs
by as big stories. They are "tbe truth
the whole truth and nothing but tn
truth" "We speak that we do know :
Whatever else you may do, make VI
your minds TO cut part of your hay, q
least, early this year, and cure it nicely
watch the relish with which you
horses and cattle will eat it next winter
and the effect it will have on them, an,
you will never 60 back to the old way
your moving machine for a scythes,,
the self.binder for the cradle.
Our practice has been to cut twice
once about the middle of June, an
again about the last of July-and the
feed off the third crop, or pillow 70
wheat. This year we intend to NOV
three times, and not have any stock o.
the meadows. A fair crop would b
about two and one-half, one and one
half, and three-quarter tons for tn
three cuttings. Considerably more tina
1.2 tons has been raised in this vicin
ity for first crop, but the quality @
the hay is not as good. When a Gro
will make 2 l:2 tons per acre, if th
OF the strength go into the next CROP
NOW alter two O'Clock i'm the after
noon, when the weather promises to b
fair for some days, and rake the mex
Cay between 2 and 8; the followin
day, about 10 o'clock, turn over th
winrOws, and after dinner cock up
If the weather is bright and warm al
the time, it goes in the next day with
out opening the cocks. l keep plent
of help at work in the potato field abon
the time of haying, and at the least sig
OF rain we rake and cock up, in whic
case 1t may be necessary to open tn
cocks more or less before drawing IN
But, unless rain does threaten, we neve
cock up merely wilted grass or clover
The great point in haying is to hav
the nerve to cut largely just at the be
ginning of fair weather.
How many times l have know
farmers, after three or four days, to say
"Well, guess we are going to hav
some good weather, and l will cut som
hay" And they cut it to get wet, jus
when they should have been drawn
their hay into the barn. They had nc
learned SIN time of peace to prepar
for war;" At the beginning of fai
weather 1t is usually cool, and grass Gu
after O'Clock will not cure enough t
be injured by the dew that night, an
the next night, being left In large wiz
rows, the injury is very slight. l use
to turn by hand heavy crop of gras,
when 1t was cut with a side-cut ms
chino. had to do it in order to max
good hay; but for three years past
have used the Eureka mower, and hav
not turned one forkful. The longer
use 1t, the better like it. 1t is mer
play for team to cut six acres betwee
2o'cIock and 6, and the grass is left i
snch shape as to cure quickly, and max
choice hay, at about half the expens
that we used to be at. Iought perhap
IN say In this eounect ion that The Enrol