The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-08-17
Curing Hay for Home Irse.

curing Hay for Home Use.
In hay making, two points are to be
considered, writes J. s. Woodward. of
New York. First, how to get the
largest weight of such hay ms is most
in demand in the market and will
bring the highest price, and second.
how to get the largest amount of di-
gestible stock food to the acre. The
first is from the standpoint of the hay
seller. The other from that of the hay
feeder.
Fortunately for the farmer, the hay
buying public has not yet "got onto"
the fact that for all animals for all pur
poses for II driving horse even, there
is no hay quite equal to early cut, well
cured clover, so the market calls for
timothy hay end such will sell for sew
eral dUuars per ton more than any
other, and it must be made from grass
fully grown and ripened to point Just
short of the SCATTERING of the seed.
There il prejudice in the market
against hay that is too green in color,
and although hay cut early and of n
deep green color is far better to feed.
ut Will not bring as much as that which
IL lighter III color in fact, almost white,
providing this color comes from fuller
maturity and not from bleaching by
the weather.
While no other of the true grasses
has nearly so high feeding value rs
the northern bluegrass, "Poa com.
pressa," and nothing increases the
feeding value of timothy hay more than
mixture of this grass, such n mix
ture Injuries its market value in pro-
portion to the quantity of bluegrass
contained. So then, for market, clean
timothy is wanted, and it should be
cut Just before its seeds will shell and
Mt this stage can be cut in the morn
ing of good hay day, and drawn aud
housed III afternoon, especially if it be
gone over with tedder soon after
dinner.
But rs to the best time to cut
the various kinds of grasses. best
methods of curing, handling and stor-
ing to get best results in feeding farm
stock. We do not care for bulk but
for amount of digestible food. A we'll
established fact in vegetable growth is,
that during the early season much of
the growth of hay plants is Mt the ex-
pense of nutriment stored up the pre-
vlous season, and that up TO certain
point of maturity the plant is largely
fiber and water, and that beyond this
time the plant is taking in carbon from
the air aud uniting that with the water
and forming the carbohydrates first
sugar, then starch and lastly fiber:
that the further this change goes the
woody fiber increases and the digesti
bic matter decreases.
"A rapid change also takes place in
the constituents of grasses in the cur
ing or drying process. While the green
grass may contain much sugar, when
the same has been cured bnt little can
found, 1T having passed on to the starch
form largely, and doubtless more or
less has gone on into the woody state.
lhese facts true, grasses of all kinds
should he cut when they have the great
est quantity of sugar aud starch per
acre, as these are both almost com
pletcly digestible If allowed to po
beyond this the hay may increase much
IN weight and still lose much of it's di-
gestible value.
With all the grasses, clover included.
this point will be found lust Mt the
period of full bloom. L know many
have a notion that the pollen on the
grasses makes the hay dusty, but if
that he the only dust on the hay. no
animal will ever he injured Ivy its use.
There is one objection to this early
| cutting of grass for hay-it is much
more work to cure it, but the far
greater value will more than compen-
safe for the extra labor.
have tried almost every way of hay
making but, all things considered. I
prefer TO do most Of the curing in cock.
J like TO start the mower about four
O'Clock in the afternoon and keep it
running until 10 o'clock the next day.
except for couple of hours in the
carly morning. If the grass is heavy.
it should be shaken out with tedder
before noon and by three in the after
noon 1T will be ready 90 rake and 90
into cocks.
Few men know just how to make n
good hay cock Almost anyone con
make bunch, but il takes nm ortist
To- put mp hay cock so it will shed
rain and no. be blown over bv every
/ Little breeze. II should be small ON
the ground, rather tall and so built MP
that the outside coat shall shed rain
like the thatch ON stack This is
easily done by one who knows how.
but difficult 10 describe so that anovice
can make one just right Hay put into
cocks after being fully wilted will. in
good weather sweat aud cure ont.
ready to 90 into the barn, in two TO
live days, according 10 the weather
When cured enough ON bright
morning after dew is on, the cocks
should be deity opened into just good
sized iorkfuls, and in an hour and n
bali or two hours it is ready TO draw
and put into barns OF course where
one has not storage under cover he will
be compelled TO stack the hay. but +
believe this is wasteful practice and
that even with the best system Of stack.