Woodstown register. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 187?-1892, 1883-06-19
HAR VES7ING.


week beginning their hay harvesting,
both the white and red clover being
sufficiently ripe. 1t is a good practice
never to let clover get more than half
the heads brown, if the wheat is near
ready. 1t is not best to let wheat
stand too long, as there isnot as much
s~hrinkage in cutting it green as some
farmers suppose. Bennett Barnes, a
good farmer, speaking lately in Deer
Creek Farmers Club, Bel Air, Md,
says that on one occasion in Virginia
he had to cut his wheat green, and it
brought 10 per cent more than the 9th
er wheat. The commission merchant
said it was because it had been cut
green. Timothy can well wait till
after the wheat is cut. There is more
nutriment in the hay, if this grass IS
cut when we'll ripened but to get hay
for market, to look nice, cut the grass
rather green.
There is great satisfaction in using
a tedder; the hay is made quicker
and is nicer and brighter. Grass when
cut should go into cocks the same
day. If heated in the cock and then
we'll dried it never heats in the NOW.
Clover takes more time and has to be
opened out two or three days. If hay
heats in the NOW it is apt to come out
mouldy and has a tendency to give
horses the heaves.
Every prudent farmer should pre-
pare for harvest and see that every
thing is in proper order, and also see
to hands. The use ofmachinery must
be governed by circumstances. Small
crops might not justify buying ma
chinery, but on large farms it would
pay well. S~elf-binders will be used
where a mans farm justifes it, or a
number of neighbors might advan-
tageously have one between them. 1t
is a practice, too, in this section for a
farmer owning a binder, to cut and
bind his neigebors' wheat at a charge
of so much per acre.
To get corn out of the way before
harvest is a very important matter.
A farmer can tell a month beforehand
what he will have to do and he must
look ahead must not only get his
corn worked and his roads in order,
but moving machines ready also. A
hay fork to work with horsepower is
not attended with much cost and moth
ing pays so well. 1t is also important
to have a building to house hay where
you can use a hay fork. 1t a be
used in almost any building, but it
works better with a good height.
Timothy should be cut when it sheds
the blossoms, especially if cut for mar
ket; you get both appearance and
weight. Clover hay does best put up
in large cocks, under large canvass
caps; let it stand a few days and then
haul it in. The windows could be
dragged up with horses, and the fork
ing would get the twist out and il
would fork easier next time. In case
of rain the tedder would do the work
oftwenty men with forks and the hay
ifleft as it was, after rain, would burn
on the top where exposed. The ted.
der should be used before hay is dry
If it is ready to break up a tedder i:
not wanted.
1t is necessary to be ahead of you
work and not let your work get ahead
of you. For large crops it is impor
tant to have machinery. 1t is advisa
Bile to use all good improvements ir
farnT machinery. IL is mora satisfac
tory and saves more than dollars ane
cents. Looking ahead and havins
things ready is economy, for if you
are ready you can economic. 1t il
well enough to know where help il
coming from, but it is not well to hir.
too far ahead they can't always b.
depended upon. The great thing
is to do a thing when it ought to b,
done.
We hope our farmers have befor,
this seen to it that their roads were al
leveled up, the little bridges mendee
and the gates so that one hand car
open them, and not take three. A:
for hands always pay them well
promptly and willingly and you car
get them another year. Fed then
well, too, and keep them in good hu
NOR. Have good tools and enough o
them to be prepared for breaks;
spare fork always. AS regards oat
harvesting good farmer recommend
the use on reapers of a side deliver,
cutter, to let oats get ripper. 1t is bet
ter than to let them lay in swathes.
We throw out this tumble of recon
mendations and suggestions. gatheret
from some good old-fashioned far
mers, and hope the hints may Prov
seasonable in this the time of har
vest.