Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-07-23
ovER-pRYIne The Hay.


A Mistake Frequently Committed ~
Otherwise Careful Farmers.
Not only is tho hay better wheE
housed or stacked rs soon as possible
after cutting rs 1t will keep, but tho risk
of getting the crop damaged by rains is
avoided The views Of farmers have
changed very materially in later years
in regard to the amount of drying nec-
essary to insure the keeping of hay.
Experience hac shown that much less
drying is necessary than was formerly
supposed to bo required, especially II
the hay is put in tight barn. II 1t
sweats and heats somo that need not
cause alarm, for TO limited extent, this
is no harm.
OF course tho principle object in dry
ing tho hay is to get rid of the water
which, IL retained undiminishcd, would
cause fermentation under the influence
of the air and the germs Of ferment
floating in it; the secondary object is to
lessen the weight and thus lessen cost of
handling. But the more of the watery
part of the grass we can retain the more
tho hay will be like grass; and in getting
much of the delicate volatile scents and
flavors which it is desirable to retain.
How quickly after grass is cut and it be-
gins to wilt is the air all about filled
whh the escaping perfume of new
mown hay; and so long as the drying
process goes on so long will this per-
fume be given out. Any method OF
preserving grass, siloing or otherwise,
which will retain all OF ingredients in
the most perfect and natural manner
will give the best food.
Among the best farmers the practice
now is to get the hay into the NOW or
stack the day it is cut if possible In
good hay weather this can be done with
the right management. The mower is
started in the morning at least rs soon
as the dew is off, and run until eleven
or twelve o'clock. If the hay is green
and heavy it will be necessary to turn
or stir the hay with forks or tedder,
otherwise it will take too long to DIR Y
and the top will be dried to death be-
fore the underside of the swarth is hardly
wilted. Start the rake by two p. m,
and sufficient force of teams to haul il
all in before the dew falls.
The old farmers saying, 81 would
rather have a pound of juice in my hay
than an ounce of water" is worth re-
membering, and if it looks likely to rain
before the hay is thought to be sufli-
emily dry, start the teams to work.
Less damage will result by beginning
too soon than by having the partly
dried hay get drenched with rain. Il
the hay is somewhat green and heavy
the closer it is packed in the NOW the
better. 1t should be spread evenly and
tramped as much as possible to get and
keep the air out.
A practice that has been tried with
good success is to mix the green hay
with some old hay or straw, putting
first layer of the straw, then one OF
hay, then another of straw, and so on
till the NOW is full or the stack COM
plete. The straw not only absorbs tho
moisture from the hay and thus aids in
preserving it, but it is itself improved
by this absortion of the odors of the
fresh hay so that stock will eat the straw
up clean, when before they would
hardly touch it. Here is another proof
that valuable matter is given off from
hay by exposure.
The addition of salt to hay as it is
being put up is thought by many to aid
in keeping it. 1t is doubtful if any
amount less than what would injure tho
stock does any good as preservative.
But few quarts to the ton will improve
the taste of the hay for the stock.-Cok-
qnnIl'S RIirdL Worid