The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-06-30
Time for Cutting the Hay Crop.

AS far as the time for cutting the hay |
crop is concerned, farmers may be d. |
vided into three classes. OF these, one |
makes it rule TO commence haying at |
about certain date, without regard to |
the condition of the crop. Another
commences when the hoed crops are in
condition in which they can be left,
for short time at least, without seri-
Gus injury. The third class give the
work of haying precedence. over all
other farm affairs of its season and en-
deavor to cut the grass at the exact
time at which it is at it's best for being
made into hay.
That the claes named first cannot
work to the best advantage is evident.
In some years grass is ready to be cut
several days earlier than it is in other
seasons. And yet some men make ii
rule never to do much haying before
the Fourth of July, or some other date
that is equally arbitrary. They work
systematically, it is true, but they carry
their ideas of system too far. The al
manac is an excellent guide for some
lines of business but for indicating
when grass should be cut for hay it is
defective.
The second class choose much bet
ter course than the first, and on some
farms it is, in average years, pretty
nearly correct. Where the crops are
balanced so closely as to area and other
conditions that the larger part of the
work of cultivation is naturally attend
ed to before the grass has become sufli-
GENTLY mature for hay, this plan, in
favorable seasons, gives good results.
The difficulty with it comes in such
seasons as the present, when, owing to
unusual climatic conditions, the hoed
crops are very late and the grass is rel
atively early in approaching maturity.
On farms where the cultivated area is
very limited the difficulty can be re-
duced to small proportions. Upon
other farms much of the grass will be
injured by standing too long if the hay
ing is not commenced until the hoed
crops have received needed attention.
Whether the farmers of the third
class are wiser than are those of the
second depends upon the relative value
of the hay and the hoed crops. 1t is
plain to every farmer that the quality
of hay depends very largely upon the
time at which it is cut. 1t is just as
plain that the yield of the cultivated
crops will very largely depend upon
the degree of attention which they re.
ceive, and the time at which it is given
If either must be neglected, the one
that is of the least Importance should
be chosen. 1t is not ideal farming to
neglect any crop, but sometimes the
seasons are 80 unpropitious that it be.
comes absolutely necessary to either
slight or omit certain kinds of work
that really should be performed. In
deciding the relative value of the crops
the future must be considered as vel
as the immediate present. With the
cultivated crops there will be not only
the matter of yield, but also that Of
having the land stocked with weeds
which will make trouble not alone in
this year, but also in years to come
With the hay crop there is not only the
value of the hay itself for sale or fol
feeding purposes as the case may be
the effect which early or late cuttings
will have upon the second crop, If the
land is to be moved again this year, OF
upon the quantity that will be pro.
duced next year. Here, as in many
other matters, the side issues are often
of considerable importance.
AS already intimated, the difficulty
in choosing the very best time for cut.
ting the hay crop is greater upon some
faams than it is upon others. But even
on small farms, where there is diver
sification of crops, the problem is moi
as simple as at first glance it appears
Upon larger farms, or those where pc
culiar conditions exist, it becomes quite
complex. 1t any case it is worthy Of
much careful study. Practical Farmer