Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-07-09
Early Cutting ofHay.

The tendency among The boat of
farmers rs towards an earlier cutting
OF the hay crop. The old idea that
grass when dried is TOO light and In.
nutritious Is disproyen hy tbc palua
Of milk in COWS, aud Of beef in othor
cattle, when pastured upon it Tho
early cut hay does dry away in weight
considerably, but what weight ro.
mains is nutnmcnt. ln grasa that
has been left to ripcn and dfy up, thc
nutriment is too much Ike cord-wood
What was nutrition has turned to o.
bre, and Ia the animal serves mainly
the purpose that cord.wood docs Iu
the stove, 90 maintain warmth
Early cut hay can usually bo ao-
cured without rain. That ia, if a
farmer takes time by The forcloch
he can choose when ho shall begin
haying, while VI he wata until tho
last moment he has mo- choice tbo
hay is drying up la the fields, and
will be spoiled by rain even before 20
is cut, should rain be imminent. Of
course, being very green aud full 0f
juices, this grass requires some cur
ing. IL Is for this use that tho hay
tedder becomes the most valuable od.
junct TO successful haying 10 hay,
especially clover, be loft until dcad
ripe, the hay teddcr will be not only
unnecessary, bat absolutely an niu.
~. IL will break on Che leaves and
heads, the m0st valuable part of clio.
yer hay, aud leave only the stalks.
and those mostly woody fibre. But
newly turned swath, tossed up by
the tedder and exposed to Che auu
and air few hours, is ready to be
raked up and put into "a cock lt
looks green, and there ia atlll con.
siderable dampncssi but lot Che cock
begin 10 heat or sweat, and One hay
is ready for moving, with mo- danger
whatever Of turning black on mold
ing.
tits very important that the early
cut hay be got up in cock tho aomc
day il is cut. We have heard fam-
ers say that they left their hay to
get pretty ripe, so chat they could
rake il up more quickly and leave To-
less time exposed 90 the danger of
storms or Of dews. but m the groou
hay this early gathering up into cock
is quite as necessary. Even q heavy
dew on the hay after Il is spread upon
.he ground and partly dried blenchca
It wonderfully. Chemical changes
of warm water IN contact with solu-
Die nutrition Ia partly dried grass oo.
,ur with amazing rapidity. The germs
II fermentation are found Ia plenty
n the water Of dews, which Is mere.
y the condensed moisture of our
over atmosphere, as rain and snow
ire Of the mir far above us.
There is still another important ad.
.antage In cutting hay, especially of
Hover, very early, aud that is in pro.
noting a strong aftorgrowth. We
re only lately learning the possibl..
les Of clover on extra rich a0I.
'hree, four, Eve aud even sis crops
nay be cut ia "a year, even In our
hort seasons, provided the crop .s
at early and The land ia heavily
nough manurcd. or course, no ONE
{ these crops would boz quite opua
D what would be grown Boz one Or oI.
owed 10 half mature its blossoms.
mt If il reaches this staPc,most of Co.,
lessons and leaves will be- broken
n IN the handling while cutting aud
lrng. And quite possibly, Too, thc
reen clover grown on extra rich coil
)ntains proportionnbly more uutu.
on than Is found under "a like growth
over ON soil Of only medium fcrtI.
'.-.dm CUHirat0r