Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-06-24
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FlEL RaAp GRRDEN
EARLY MADE HAY.
Cutting and Curing Rye For Hay-Malina
Clover Hav

Cutting and Curing Rye For Hay-Malxing
Clover Hay.
The earliest hay can be made from
rye, and it will be fairly good if it is
cut early enough. The time to cut it is
very soon after it is headed. The time
when this occurs depends on the season
and the latitude, but it comes usually
in May as far north as central Wiscon-
sin and southern Minnesota. Farther
south, Of course, it comes earlier. The
time of cutting being in the early part
Of the season before the hottest and
most drying hay weather comes, and it
being rank growing plant and very
| juicy and watery at the time of cutting,
it is sometimes rather difficult to cure.
1t can be done, however, according to a
Wisconsin correspondent Of Prairie
Farmer and authority for the follow
| ing: If the weather is clear, it can be
raked up on the afternoon of the day
after it is moved. It should then be put
up in cocks and left for two or three
days The drier the hay the larger the
cocks can be made, but usually they
should be low, we'll topped out and as
small as practicable ON the ground. Be-
fore it is stacked or put in the barn the
cocks should be opened some, SO as to
| let in the sun and air. Rye hay made
this way will be found to be very good
| for all kinds of stock, though not equal
to clover hay or oat hay.
L 10
blue grass, or, as it is called in some
places, June grass. This yields but
small crop, except in some places where
the soil seems to be especially adapted
to it. It should not be cut until after it
has blossomed It is a fine grass and
dries very quickly, SO there is no trou-
bic in properly curing it. The next ear
lest is clover hay. Red medium clover
should be cut when in full bloom A
few of the earliest heads will have turn
ed brown at that time Glover hay
when properly made is the best hay we
have in this country for all kinds of
stock, and especially for cows, but the
way it is quite often made produces the
poorest kind of hay.
Directions for making clover hay
have been given over and over again,
but it seems necessary to repeat them.
If the weather is good, there is no need
of failure. We NOW either in the morn
ing after the dew is off or in the after
noon SO late that it will not dry much
that day In the afternoon after it has
had a chance to wilt through the mid
die of one day my way is to rake it up.
AS it is dumped from the rake, the
swaths are thrown bottom up, SO that it
has chance to wilt on the other side
We use no tedder unless there should
come rain ON it after it is moved and
before it is cooked up. We cock it up
toward night after it is raked. The rake
leaves it in gavels We take five rows
and pile the gavels by taking them with
fork and laying them on the middle
row. The piles are made small at the
bottom. Being put up in wilted state,
the cocks will shed rain very we'll,
should rain come. 1t should stand in
the cock to sweat about three days, and
two may possibly do. Then it can be
opened and aired and hauled into the
barn. It will not heat in the NOW to
hurt and will be excellent hay with all
the leaves and fine parts on it.