Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-07-04
a Common Farmers Ideas About Hay

ing
Our farmers should all be anxious to cut
their grass and cure it in just the right time
0s near as we can, so as to get the full benefit
of all its good qualities. l consider the best
time to cut grass-such as timothy and red
top-is when it has nearly all blossomed out
and the blows are ready to fall. l should
call this early-cut hay. l think hay that is
thus cut early gives me better results in feed
ing to mich cows or any growing stock be-
sides it leaves the stubble in a better condi-
ton to start again, than it would to have il
fully ripe. l like to cut as much of my grass
as can from 4 to o'clock in the afternoon,
as it will be in much better condition to
handle earlier the next day, than if cut while
wet with dew in the morning, and if it should
rain in the night it will not hurt it any. If
the grass is pretty heavy and green it will
take two days to dry it, the weather being
favorable. 1t should be put into cocks in
the early part of the afternoon while it is
warm, as it will cure much faster in heaps
than it will to lie out fiat till it gets cool. The
next day just turn it over little at l l o'clock,
and in two hours it will be ready for the barn
L like to put hay into the NOW while it il
warm, even if it is little heavy. There
will be no sour taste or smoke in 1t next
winter
Glover should be treated differently. A
very large per cent of clover hay around
here comes out in the winter more or less in
jured by being black, smoky and brushy
with leaves gone, caused by not having been
properly cured. Early cut clover, properly
cured, makes the best of hay but If cut late
and dried hard in the sun it is about the poor
est Glover should be cut earlier in the
bloom than other kinds of grass, as it is u.s.
uaily eoRrser and sooner turns hard and
woody. The secret of properly curing Glow
err is to have it spead out to the sun just as
little as is possible, or only enough to get the
wet out of it, Put it into heaps before it il
fairly wilted, or within two or three hours
after being cut. Let the cocks stand at least
three days without being touched. Cover
with caps if you have them. 1t will sweat
and begin to heat some, which will dry itself
In this way all the leaves will be retained, il
will hold its green color, and will make ten
der and sweet feed. nearly spoiled one
piece of my clover last year that was cut in
the morning by letting it lie under a very hot
sun till O'Clock before raking it. Then it
had got stiff and brushy and a large portion
of the leaves fell off, which was the best part
to have saved. Glover must be cured in the
shade and in the heap, and not by the sun II
you want TO retain its full value. The third
or fourth day the heaps may be turned over
to air the bottom, but should not be spread
out for nearly an hour before 1t goes to the
barn.
1 never calculate to rake or get in much
hay after o'clock, as 1 don't like to handle
it after it has cooled off and the dew is fall
ing. believe can get in more hay in good
condition, and better for both man and beast
in about 10 hours a day, than many farmers
who drag along for 10 or 1G hours a day,
working till or o'clock every day, raking
in the dew; then in winter wonder how their
hay should DO so dark oolored and smoky.
Give the men more sleep and less stimulants
and they will have more vigor for the next
days work to make hay only while the sun
shines
Our farmers have improved very much
within the last 25 years in several points.
Hay is not dried nearly as much and cut ear
lier. Farmers do not drink near so much Oh
der or rum in the hay field Rs they used to
do. Probably not one-fourth as much of
either is now used as there was 20 years ago,
and am glad to believe that its use Is grow
ing less every years. A. T. IN Homestead.