Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-06-13
THE HAY CROP.

]
As the season is forward preparation
should now be made to secure this crop
early and in good condition. Grass is a
crop which must be cut and secured
promptly to prevent waste and insure
good quality; and as it is the most valu-
able single crop produced in this coun-
try it is entitled to extra attention. The
! first and most important preparatory
item is to arrange in season for the
necessary implements, such as mowers,
! tedderS and horse rakes; and the next,
to engage the requisite force of men
and teams, in order to avoid any delay
when the grass is fit for cutting 1t is
true economy to use the best implements
and machines in both having and har-
vesting, and also to employ the most ca
pable men obtainable. A machine liza
| bic to break down in the field, or man
too ignorant, lazy or tipsy to do his work
| properly may cause much delay and
damage. The shrewd farmer will guard
against such veXatiOus and expensive
investments by securing the best men
| and machinery.
The right time to begin moving has
long been mOOted question, and one
much discussed annually; but of late
years the early cutting of grass has
gained popularity among the more in
telligent and experienced farmers.
Many strong arguments have been ad-
duced in favor of early cutting. For
example, the analytical chemist of the
Department of Agriculture, in sum-
ming up the results of analysis of near
ly all the cultivated grasses, thus refers
to the time to cut grass: 1t is apparent,
then, that in most cases the time of
bloom or thereabouts is the fitteSt for
cutting grasses in order to obtain the
most nouriShment and largest relative |
profitable crops, and for the following
reasons: The amount of matter has di. |
mlnlshed, and the Shrinkage will, there
fore, be less. The weight of the crop !
will he the largest in proportion to the |
nutrltive value of its constituents. The /
amount of nitrogen not present as albu-
minoids (the nutritious elements), will |
be at its lowest point; fiber will not be
so excessive as to prevent digestion, and |
the nutritiye ratio will be more advanta-
geous. If cut earlier the shrinkage is
larger, although the fiber is less and the
albumen is little larger. The palata-
bllity may be increased, but the total
nutrimentS to the acre will not be so
large, and the nutritiYe ratio will be
more abnormal. The disadvantages of
late cutting are evident in the increase
of fiber, destroying the digeStibility of
the nutriments and the falling off of
the albumen by conversion into amides.
This is not made up by the larger crop
cut.
After alluding to the fact that there
are other grasses than timothy deserv-
ing of attention, recent writer saws:
"One great advantage in having differ
ent kinds of grasses is, that they come
into flower and into condition to cut at
several days or week apart. Orchard
grass, for example, may be cut and out
Of the way before timothy is ready"
CUTTING AND CURING CLOVER.
Glover hay should also be cut early,
Or when the last sets are in blossom and
he first ones little turned. As to the
pest mode for curing clover hay, an ex-
farmer says there are two ex-
,remeS to be avoided, viz: drying rapid
y and too long in the sun, and attempt
ng to cure wholly in the shade. 1t
should be cut while dry and free from
he dew, and exposed to the sun long
enough to dry it partly. Then place it
n small cocks, where some additional
Trying will take place, and it becomes
it for the barn or stack. Some expert
nee and judgment are required to know !
ust how dry it must be to keep without
leating or mOlding. If made too dry
t loses part of its value The relative {
mount of drying in the sun and in
hade will vary with weather, ripeness
nd other influences; but as an averdg
bout twO-thirds of the drying should ,
e performed in the sun and one-third S
n the shade, although practical men :
iffer on this point d