The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-08-25
CUTTING. CURING AND STORING Hay.

A prominent dairyman recently
stated that he believed much, if not
most, of the hay was allowed to stand
until too ripe. The stems become
woody and unpalatabie. The leaves
or blades dry up and are lost 10 hand.
ling. A part of the fibre, digestible
earlier in the life of the plant, be-
comes indigestible and worthless. OF
course no one will advise cutting
grasses or clovers while immature, for
the resulting hay will be light and of
poor quality. The experience of care.
ful farmers and the researches of ex-
perlmenters indicate that crops in.
tended for hay should be harvested
Just after the bloom begins to fall.
This is very readily determined in "a
timothy meadow. Red clovers make
the best hay if cut as soon as the first
dry heads appear. Where there is n
mixture of timothy and clover, try to
strike n desirable medium. AS the
clover ripens first, it is impossible to
cut the hay when both plants are in
their best condition. Let the clover
get little overripe, and cut while the
timothy is yet green. The same is
true of all grass mixtures, and for this
reason it Is seldom advisable to use
mixtures for meadows.
Hay is also frequently much IN
lured by letting it lie in the sun too
long after cutting. Excessive drying
makes it hard and brittle. If it is
raked and put at once into the stack,
1T will have to be pretty thoroughly
dried. But if the hay is to be cooked,
rake as soon as this can be done, and
place in medium sized cocks, where it
will cure nicely without bleaching. 1t
can then be stacked, or stored in the
NOW. Cured in this manner, it will
be of tho first qua!ity-soft, green,
palatable and highly digestible. Dur
ing a wet season, it will be difficult to
follow this practice to tho letter, but
If harvest time is moderately dry, it is
a success. Unless clover hay istreated
i'll this manner, the leaves will break
off and much of its value he lost. 1t
must be pretty thoroughly dried out
before it is stored, or it will mold, be-
come dusty, and scarcely fit for feed
especially for horses. In many farm
ing sections clover hay Is in disrepute
simply because it is not cut ut the
right time, or not carefully cured. AS
matter of fact, good clover hay can
not be excelled for any kinds of farm
stock.
In many localities field peas are be-
ing sown this year for soiling and hay.
For feeding green, begin cutting when
blossoms are well out, and continue
until the seeds have begun to harden.
1t is then in the best condition to
make winter feed, if cut and we'll
cured. Like clover, it is somewhat
difficult to take care of, but also like
clover it Is highly heterogeneous food,
and especially valuable for dairy COWS
and growing stock. Cut with now
er, allow to wilt. and put into small
cocks, which after thorough curing
may be gathered into stack and
topped out with nay, or elevated into
NOW. In many places mixture OF
peas and oats is sown for hay and for
soiling, with gratifying results. The
resulting crop is harve sted much rs
when the pens are seeded alone: For
hay, cut when the peas begin to
harden; for soiling, when in full
bloom. The oats stems sustain the
pea vines, and thus prevent damage to
any OF the leaves. This mixture eau
be cut with binder or a mower. If
it is thought desirable, tho pea-and-
oats hay may be run through n
threshing machine, thus separating
the straw. and grain. Pea seed is
somewhat difficult to obtain in tie
Central Western States, which pre-
vents many from sowing moro freely.
The acreage is, however, gradually in
creRsing.