The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-06
A Talk Ahout Hay.

1t is the hay season, says the Southern
Farm Gazette. Let US talk a little about
hay. There is hay and there is hay. The
quality or feeding value of hay will de-
pend not only upon the special kind of
plant grown, but also at what stage of
growth 1t is moved, how cured, and to a
greater or less extent as to the character
OF soil it is grown upon. AS a rule, when
the plant is cut at an early stage, before
the seed have well formed-the crop is
not only less exhaustive to the soil, but
win possess more value as feed by rea-
son OF palatability and digestibility. 1t
is when the seed are matured that the
greatest drain is made upon the soil, and
as maturity advances, the woody element
increases in proportion, and the more
woody the plant the greater the diff
Guilty and labor OF the animal in digest
ing the food. A hay plant at a certain
degree OF maturity may show a greater
chemical value as stock food, YET when
tested in practice by the animal itself
the immature and less chemically rich
plant may result in far better profit than
the other. Oxen and mature dry cattle
may thrive better on a hay we'll advanced
in maturity than milch cows and younger
stock. For calves very young and tender
grass Is best.
Much care and experience is necessary
to know at just what stage of growth it
is best to cut hay and the best manner
Of curing. The condition of the weather
and the Individual character of the plant
ITSELF and the special purpose for which
the feed is designed-must each be CON
sdered in reaching conclusions The
best quality of hay IS secured by curing
partially in the shade, or in the cock. 1t
is difficult, II not impossible, to make the
best possible quality of hay when
the grass is cured in the sun entirely
Exclusive sun curing leaves the hay drv
and brittle and lifeless. and extracts color
and aroma from 1t. The hay ought to be
cured at least partially in the cock where
1t may undergo a sweating process 10 a
greater or less extent. Hay that has gone
through a sweating in the cock is NOT So
near likely to spoil when put in the barn
as that which is even less green in an
pearance undergoing the sun curing nro-
cess In the case of the legumes clover
any considerable extent to the sun. the
leaves fall off. This character of nlants
must be cured in the cock, or under shade
in order to secure fair quality of hay.
1t is a mistake to presume that orr ma
tive grasses, growing spontaneously in
pasture and meadow, are all inferior hay
grasses. Some of them are better than
others, but most of them make fine hav
II only moved at a stage of growth early
enough. With these plants, it is usual
ly the case that they are moved TO make
up a shortage in the hay supply and are
not moved until the eleventh hour-until
It is demonstrated that the cultivated
grasses clover and forage plants are not
ample to supply the needs of the owner
then the over-ripe native plants are utfl-
lied to supply the deficiency. Take our
common broom sedge for example cut
for hay when young and tender and be-
fore there is any evidence of seed stalk
putting up, the hay when properly cured
looks well, and the stock eat it well and
thrive upon H.