Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-09-14
farnl and firesias.
PEAVINE HAY,

tney SQOulu Ue CuTeu, W udke TIE DeSl
of hay, and especially whether they
should be cut before or after the peas
have begun to ripen, as he explains
that there is difference Of opinion on
this point among farmers of his &C.
quaintance-some contending that the
vines ere of little value for forage
when they have fruited, while others
maintain that the food value Of the
mature or nearly mature fruit more
than compensates for the loss of nutri-
ment in the rest of the plant.
The inquiry is of general interest,
for the reason that the reports show
that the crop in question has been
planted more extensively in the state
this year than ever before, and that
very many of the farmers who have
planted it are in doubt as to the best
methods 10 be employed in harvesting
it, and may become discouraged from
trying it again as the result of their
mistakes aud consequent dissppoint'
ment and loss this season. We cannot
do better, perhaps, than to repeat for
The information of all concerned the
views of d recognized authority on all
agricultural matters. In answer TO
inquiries addressed to him OH the sub.
ject, Mr.. R. J. Redding, the director OF
the Georgia Experiment station, re-
Gently published an account of the
plan which he has pursued for years,
"with satisfactory results" and we
give the substance Of his statement.
"The earlier the vines are cut" he
says, to begin with, "the more succu-
lent they are, and the longer the time
required to cure them, but the leaves
will shed less" If cut before they
are in full bloom "the hay will not be
80 rich and nutritious" AS general
rule, 1.-The best time to cut is after the
vines Eave come into full bloom, and
whenever few fuIl-grown pods are TO
be seen here and there" When the
leaves have begun to turn yellow and
drop off sit is an indication that the
proper time for moving has come and
gone"
The instructions for touring" the
vines are clear and explicit. "Wail
until the "dew is off " before cuttil 6
them. "Never cut when the vines are
at all wet" Start the mower or reap
ers about 9 o'clock a. m, cut until
noon, and then stop for the day:
Late in the afternoon rake up the
cut vines and place in sharp cocks
about five feet high. Next morning,
after the dew is off, open these cocks
and spread the hay around on the
ground. In the late afternoon put
two or three of these cocks together,
or into one, making the tops as sharp
as possible. If the weather remains
clear the cocks may remain undisturb.
ed until dry enough to store away in
the barn, which will be in the course
Of three ,r four days-the time vary
ing according to the condition of the
the weather. In cases of showery
weather the partly cured hay may be
shocked around a pole placed firmly
in the ground and standing about II
high. The ground around the pole
should be first covered with an open
platform made Of rails or poles laid
on stones or poles and three or four
long poles or fence rails should be
placed upright around the centre pole,
opened out at the base and fastened at
the tops to the centre pole. After fill
ing the pole with hay, finish off the
top with straw or crab grass"
The remaining instructions relate to
the making and placing of leaps" to
project the hay from the weather.
Any waterproof covering will answer.
IA very good hay cap can be formed
of ordinary cotton drilling or heavy
cotton sheeling" by making q sheet
about six feet square, with q strongly
stitched hole in each corner. "These
sheets, one to each cock, should be
securely tied down at each corner" "
The hay, it is stated, sis considered
to be sufficiently cured for storing
when no moisture shows on twisting
the larger stems between the thumb
and fingers" One rule to be observed
especially, is "never handle the vines
when partly cured, except late in the
afternoon or early in the morning, and,
indeed, the vines should be handled as
little as possible TO avoid The loss of
the leaves"
This disposes of the question as to
The proper method of "curing" the
vines for hay. Before leaving the
subject, however, Mr.. Redding takes
occasion to object strongly, as he has
done before, he says, ITO the practice
Of turning under a crop of peavines
for the benefit of the SOIL" He ad-
mits that the practice benefits the
soil, but insists that farmer cannot
afford to use "food that is fit for ami
NAL consumption" in that wasteful
way, when he could employ it other
wise to so much better advantage.
He explains:
"a ton of cured peavines is worth
not less than SIS as food for animals.
1t would be worth about $6 or 81 rs
food for the soil, or as plant food.
That is to say, that the elements OF
plant food that are found in one ton
of peavine hay can be bought for
about Sc or 81 in the form Of CONNER
clal fertilizers. So, then, TO turn un-
der SIS worth of hay in order to get
into the soil Sc worth of plant food is
equivalent to throwing away about 50
worth of value. Moreover, we get the
SIS value out of ton of hay and then
may return the resulting manure to the
soil, and in doing so we realize not less
than So worth of fertilizer. In other