Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-07-10

The hayin1 season with the average New
10 expend unusual efforts and work long
hours. lie whose land may all be gone
over with machinery however, knows little
OF the drudgery that invested the hay field
Of his fathers. Then il was get up before
light AMI HE away to the field with
scythes sharpened for conflict that
would not end antil the long hours of the
forenoon had worn away. There was a
poetry of motion in the rythm with which
the mowers followed stroke by stroke their
leader and the spirit of rivalry often lent
zest to the arduous toll. No one would pic
| ture Maud Muller it'll other than the
primitive mandrake, and with all her charms
seated upon the horserake or tedder, she
would scarcely have served the poet Whit
tiers purpose But If poetry has found
the modern hay field an uncongenial spot,
and the loiterer from the city fails to ex-
perience the interest in watching the grasses
fall beneath the clicking knives of the
moving machine that he did in gazing
placidly on the Drawn Of the human now
ing machines, the haymaker, nevertheless.
is the gamer by prosaic, practical hay max
ing machinery. lie has more time to exer
else his brains and takes more pride in his
Judgment in conducting the operations than
ba in, l,n,f t.tt ,., 10
scytbe.
But pleasant lay in the haying season
is Just As full of hustle" as in the days of
our granddajdies. Make hay while the sun
shines" is motto that will not 90 out of
date while haying is the duty of the farmer
Some one has said that hay caps and pa
thence will turn out a better article than
haste and hot sunshine. The sensible far
mer while gladly the owner of goodly
supply of hay caps will make the most of
hot sunshine If he has to employ little
haste.
There is even at this LAY too much ig-
noranee of the proper condition when grass
should be harvested. When the farmer
has meadows where the grass cannot be cut
lay machinery he will be compelled often to
begin a little too early so ~ to finish before
it il altogether too late But every farmer
should know that bulk and weight are not
the MI important qualities of hay and that
while the h'y SHOULD not be ripe be
yond the point of being easily digestible,
neither should it be so immature rs to lack
its proper amount Of nutriment. Grass
cut at night before the dew fall, has much
the advantage of grass cut while the dew is
on in the mornlpg \ lay teddcr used
the mkt forenoon If the day he fair or
lacking the teddrr turning the ha, with a
han rake will generally put it in cop,li-
ton for the barn by afternoon. When hay
Is cooked up every farmer, who has given
the matter thought realizes that il should be
punched up while hot. Then with hay caps
over the punches and the internal heat which
will remain the greater part of the night.
only little "makiag' will be required on
the morrow,
pne thing is true in haying operations
among all classes of farmers and that ia.
they are brief rs compared with those of
the last generation anl the increase in the
value Of the hay by this fact is almost in
calcuhbe. Give Us good weather for three
weeks and the bulk of the hay in Maine will
be snugly housed.