Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-07-04
Mhen TO chi Hay.

We print below an extract from a letter
from DR.. Henry Reynolds to the MIRO,
and Farmer, on this subject, in which he
arrives at the conclusion, for reasons, that
the old farmers rule, "about in the blow
is the proper time to cut grass for hay.
1t seems to very often be the case that
the conclusions arrived at, and practiced
by farmers have foundation in good lca
sons, though they may not be able to
explain the reason why. We know tha,
the botanic medicine doc ors want their
YARDS" gathered in the blow, AS then
containing the most virtue. Hear DR.
Reynolds:
If the seed is hard enough to ecome ia.
digested when fed the value Ofthe hay mus,
be considerably impaired. The hay which
he describes is that cut Just little past
the bloom. 1t is like much of the hay
that every farmer cats who begins to cut
his hay when in bloom. Before he COM
pletes his haying much of the hly will be
little past the bloom. The tendency OF
chemical and practical research seems
now to be to the conclusion that the best
time to cut grass is when it is in bloom, OF
lust after the bloom at the latest. A
change in the juice of the grass plant oc
ours when it nears maturity. The nitro
genOus elements are the most valuable.
and it has of late years been discovered
that part of the nitrogen is in the form Of
albumnoids and part in the form OF
amdes or non albuminoids. The amides
are BELOVED 10 be much less valuable as
nutriment than the abuminods Now it
is found that the amides diminish in
amount with the age of the plant up to the
time of blossoming, but after poisoning
increase with the formation of the seed.
In the analyses which have been made
showing the greater richness of young
grass in nitrogen compared with older
grass, no distinction has been made rs to
the form in which the nitrogen existed,
whether as albuminoids or amdcs-a very
important matter for consideration 1t
seems probable that it will be shown that
the period of bossoming, which is the
time corresponding with the presence of
the largest proportion of albuminoids. is
the best time for cutting hay. After
making a large number of analyses the
different grasses cut at various stages of
SlOWlu, l. IOl. SOlllCt gives MS tOuClu'
sions as follows: at is apparent, then,
that in most cases the time of bloom, or
thereabout, is the iittest for cutting grasses
in order to obtain the most nourshment
and largest relatively profitable crop, and
for the following reasons: The amount of
water in the grass has diminished and the
shrinkage will be less. The weight of the
crop cut will be the largest in proportion
to the nutritive value of its constituents.
The amount of nitrogen not present as
albuminoids will be at It's lowest point !;
fibre will not be SO excessive rs to prevent
digestion and the nutrltive ratio will be
more advantageous.
In answer to tho question, do we cut
hay too earlyo it may be said thai we do
not; very few begin to cut grass before it
is nearly in full bloom and that is none
too soon. Not all of the grass can be cut
just the day it would be preferable to cut
it. Some of it must be cut II little earlier
and some little later. Farmers, how
ever, should observe more carefully as To
the results of feeding hay cut at different
times, and by weighing the hay fed ascer
tain whether he later Cut is really worth
more or less, pound for pound, than the
earlier cut. The use OF the dffere nj
kinds with cotton seed meal and IN
meal is also subject worthy of experl.
meniation. The period Of blossomin2
seems TO be the time for cutting bay in
order to obtain a good weight OF crop in
preference TO any earlier period. and II
that is really the best time rs 10 qualify
then that will be the established time lol
cutting the grass.
Livermore Falls, Me.