The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-06-17
ABOUT HARVEST WORK.
IL Should BE Done Rapidly and Thor.
oughly and In Good Season.

oughly and In Good Season.
1t is very important after growing
the crops to harvest them in good sea-
son. With all of the hay and small
grain crops, at least, very few days
delay will make considerable differ.
ence in the quality of the product. II
is, therefore, necessary, if the best
profits are realized, to arrange ahead SO
that when the crops are ready the work
can be pushed along Is rapidly as pos
sible. Glover is usually the first crop
to harvest, and of the plants used for
hay clover requires more time to cure
than almost any other. The first is
usually cut while the weather is show.
cry and before it is as hot and dry as
when timothy, redtop and millet are
cut; hence it must be left cut one or
two days at least before it wlli do to
NOW away. Glover should be cut when
large proportion of the heads have
turned brown. If allowed to get toe
ripe, not only is there loss of nutri-
ment, but considerably greater loss
in handling, the leaves and foliage
breaking off in handling. So far as is
possible, clover should be cut and stored
away without getting wet, and sup
ply of hay caps can often be used to
good advantage with this crop.
Wheat is generally the next crop to
harvest after clover The best stage
for cutting is just after the seed begins
to harden. If allowed to get too ripe
the grain will bleach and will shatter
out more than if cut earlier. Wheat
can be bound and shocked as fast as
cut, and needs but little curing until
ready for the stack. Care should be
taken in shocking and stacking to keep
as dry as possible and get into the
stack in good condition.
Sometimes the timothy meadow will
be ready to cut before the oats, while
at other seasons the oats should be cut
first.
Ii to be fed in the straw, oats viii
make better feed If they are cut be-
fore they are fully ripe. The straw
contains more nutriment and this is thu
most economical way of feeding. es
! pecially if a cutter can be used.
Oats should be put up in. small
shocks so as to cure out well, and viii
generally need to stand several day
before they can be hauled in. If the,
are to be fed in the straw oats should
be moved away in the barn. They ar
more difficult to stack than wheat, ant
if they are to be fed out, putting in tn,
stables or barn will often save on
handling. With the western farmer a
least the principal profit in growing
oats is to use them for feed, and henc,
it is best to cut and cure and stow
away in a manner that will secure tn
best quality Of feed at the lowest cost
When cut at the right stage there Is
large per cent. of nutriment in tn
straw, but if allowed to get too rip
before harvesting good portion of thi
is lost.
Timothy and red-top make good ha,
if cut in good season. In fact, timoth
is considered the very best for hay, es
pecially for horses, Of any grown o.
the farm. They should be cut Jus
after the plants are in full bloom an
before the seeds form. In nearly al
cases, if the weather is clear an
bright, timothy or red-top can be Gu
in the morning and gathered mp an
stored away in the evening, and if Gu
at the right stage will make the bes
of hay. The use of machinery hu
| lessened the cost of handling the ha
: crop very materially, and with it an
careful planning the work can be don
in good season.-St. Louis Republic.