Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-07-05
Eays4 xHttstets,
Early Cut Hay.

hNo NbAAAAA6 NNNC WANA - $1,000
who for years has been general man
ager of a very extensive hay bust
ness, one of the very largest in the
country. He has bought and sold
thousands of tons of hay, buying
from Ohio to Nebraska. He said
that the farmers of the West are be-
ginning to realize the value of their
hay crop, but they do not yet realize
the Importance of cutting their grass
early, Notwithstanding many have
found by sad experience that grass
cut after the heads are ripe is not so
valuable in the baled hay market as
grass cut at the stage which is gener-
ally termed green. He stated that
in buying hay for market, he could
give because in selling he got for it),
from one to three dollars per ton
more for hay cut at the proper time
than for hay not cut until it is so ripe
that in baling the seed fall off, leav>
ing the stem bare. He explained
that in speaking of the proper time
he meant just before the bloom is
fully ripe, not until it falls, or is al
most ready to fall; and he recon-
mends that if all the meadows are
not in proper state to cut at the same
time, to pick out the places that are
ready and leave the greener patches
until they are ready. If you wait
till the latest is at the proper stage
for cutting, you are sure to have
some portions that are too ripe and
as a result your hay will run in
streaks. Some will be worth consid-
erably more than other portions,
but the buyer is compelled to grade
it according to the worst and set his
price accordingly.
In the course of the conversation
he related that two years ago he had
twenty four cars of hay on one mar
ket and on account of a "break" in
freight rates (this was before the In.
terstate Commerce Law, hay drop.
ped. But as, his hay was picked out
of what most people would call green
hay, he sold at full market price
while ripe hay was placed in store
and to his knowledge some of it wa;
held for nearly year before it was
sold. His advice is to cut hay green
let it stand in the stack about siA
weeks, then bale and sell at once
You will make more money than
you hold for high prices. Shrinkagc
amounts to about five per cent. pc
month-up to certain point, o
course. He thinks that from two t
four dollars per acre will be made by
cutting green and baling in the gooC
weather of the fall.
This agrees substantially will
what [ was told not long ago by al
Iowa hay dealer-a man who buy
hay of farmers, bales if it is no
already baled, and ships it TO tn
large city markets, AS l believe j
would be big money in the pocket
Of farmers, stock raisers and horticul
turists to consult the dealers those VIII
know just what sells best, 1 give tn
gist of what this man said: Cut tn
grass early-a week earlier than
the common practice; l believe 20
will have as great weight to markt
and it will bring ten to twenty pc
cent. more, weight for weight. TIL
proper time to cut grass for hay
while it is yet green, before the see
will knock out. Then do not let tn
sun burn it to death. 1t ought to
yet greenish when it is put away
Bale as soon as it goes through til
sweat. There is more money To-
than made. by holding hay, but
you want to hold it, bale it any how
When it is baled you can find sheltt
for tit takes so much less space
and you will not lose % per cent.
its value by the damage of IL
weather. If the roads to the static
are not good ones, haul the hay
the station in the fall and store
there. Then you can sell wbenev,
you want to during the winter. Ba
roads will then play into your hanc
as they will keep others from pu
ting hay on the market.
By the way, would it not be cheaI
er to bale hay for home use than
have barracks or mows to hold
loose? And when the hay is bale
it can be handled with much less Il
Dor.
But to return to my subject. VIII
these men say about the proper tin
for cutting grass and clover for hs
practically agrees with what the pr