The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-14
Gut Your RaY EARLY.

Having recently made a considerable
tour through East Tennessee says P. F. &,
in the Country Gentleman, i was surprised TO
find so many Of our farmers who still allow
their grass to become over-ripe before cut
| ting. This was not caused from lack of
baying weather, because the weather has
been propitious. Neither was it caused
from press OF other work. for in many In
stances the owners were found to he already
blowing for wheat. 1t simply arises from a
mistaken idea of economy. Better judgment
is usually exercised in cutting clover, espe-
cially where it is desired to save the second
crop for seed. Here experience will soon
teach the farmer TO seize the first op-
portunity to take off his hay after the clover
comes into full bloom. But with red-top,
the hay grass of this country, the import
ance of prompt action as soon as the grass
comes into full bloom, is not so Immediately
apparent and is often understimated. Did
you ever notice how the cattle refuse red
top in the pasture after it bad gone to seed ;
or with what lack Of relish the mules accept
the dry, stalky hay which you sometimes
offer to them! A meadow of any of our
cultivated grasses contains its greatest
weight OF crop at, or very near, the time of
full bloom. True, the decrease after this
date is wholly in the water of vegetation.
But this water OF vegetation holds in solu-
ton, as it were, the digestible materials of
the plant, rendering it fresh, juicy and
palatable, as we'll as absolutely more diges-
tible. When the crop is harvested at the
proper time, the juices are preserved very
much as those in the peach or apple when
they are dried. But in the process Of ripen-
ing, much of the soluble sugar, starch, dex-
trim, fibrin, ETC., is changed into compara-
lively insoluble and indigestble substances,
and the plant is rendered much less nutri-
tious. This is the point our farmers need to
watch-whe Uher by letting the grass ripen
some seed in order to thicken up the stand,
they do not lose more in feed value of hay
than it would cost to buy and SOW down the
seed necessary to accomplish this Take
minimum yield Of one ton per acre, at Gu
cents per 100 pounds, or Sl2 per ton, and
decrease OF 10 per cent, which will occur In
a very few days, would amount to 81 20, or
tnlly enough to reseed the whole with red
top every year. Now red-top, having a
creeping root, does not by any means re-
quire to be reseeded every year. 1t is good
plan, however, to SOW down a peck or half
bushel of seed per acre every fall, or thor
oughly scratch it in with a good sharp
tooth harrow. A little dressing of manure
at this time will not be amiss, and the
scratching up of the sedge and brushing
aside of tee lower leaves which protect its
roots in winter is not supposed to be espe-
cially conducive to the growth of that
plant. The agricultural experimental station
has an eye on this point.
Finally. it has been ebundantly proved
that the proper time to harvest almost any
kind of hay crop is when, or very soon
after, it comes into full bloom. In the case
of timothy hay for market an exception
may sometimes be made. as the consumers
in some markets have not Caught on" to
the superior value of bright, soft-green
timothy hay, and demand the common,
bright-yeilow hay, such as they usually get
from the west. There. it is often impossi-
BILE to save the large crop just ut the right
time, and as many bale directly from the
field. it is necessary that the grass be ripper.
IL my customer demanded over-ripe nay, |
would furnish it, but to my own stock
never, when 1t can be avoided. On account
of the partial failure OF the clover crop last
spring, many farmers have been compelled
to SOW millet. This should be cut as soon
as a majority of the heads appear. You
may lose little in weight on this crop. but
depend upon it, your horses will gather more
strength from the small quantity than from
the mass of coarse, woody fiber which
would result by delaying the harvest.