The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-06
THE HAY HARVEST.
The Ideal Method of Cutting and Curing
Crops of Moderate Amount.

Crops of Moderate Amount.
Where only q moderate amount of
hay is to be made the grass can be cut
just as the bloom is beginning to fall,
when it will contain the largest amount
Of digestible matter in the best possible
condition. 1t can be raked up before it
is thoroughly dried, placed in small
shocks and thus allowed to cure par
TALLY in the shade. If the weather is
damp and perfect drying does not result,
the shock can be opened during the
middle of the day and again closed up
at night to keep off the dew The hay
will then retain it's green color. The
blades will not become brittle, thus
causing a loss when handled This is
the ideal method Of cutting and curing
hay. Ii the hay can then be placed IN
der shed or in a barn, it will come
out in the best possible condition.
The same general methods apply to
small quantities of clover, cowpeas,
millet or any other forage crop, except
that they must be dried out much more
thoroughly. The stems and thick leaves
are very succulent and contain large
amounts of moisture. The hay may ap-
pear quite dry, but if special pains is
not taken to examine it carefully, there
is danger of its being put into the NOW
or stack while it contains large amounts
Of moisture. Under certain conditions
no harm will result from this, but if
the weeks following hay harvest should
be moist and damp dusty and moldy
hay will result. 1t is better, consequent
ly, to cut this hay, allow it to dry par
TALLY, then rake it into large heaps and
allow it to remain until thoroughly
cured. II the weather is very dry, like
the climate in Colorado, California and
other western states where alfalfa is
grown largely, these piles answer very
nicely. The forage is allowed to cure
partially in the shade, which enables it
to retain its color and prevents it's be-
coming harsh and woody. In more moist
climates it is probably better to make
we'll formed cocks to prevent injury by
dew or light showers.
In stacking hay, as with small grains,
the one important feature is to keep the
middles high and solid. This is done by
allowing the hay to drop from the stack
er on to the center of the stack and con-
tinually tramping this portion. When |
the stack is completed, cover it with
some coarse material if this can be OBJ
tanned, like wild hay, and weight it
down. Go over the outside of the stack |
with a rake, removing all loose material
and pulling down the outer layer SO that |
water will be turned off, as from a |
matched roof.
In case timothy is wanted for seed,
allow the seeds to become thoroughly |
brown, then cut with self binder and
shock the same as with small grains. |
Set the binder as low as possible so that |
all the leaves and blades will be pre- |
served. Allow to dry thoroughly in the
field or thrash at once. The ordinary |
thrashing machine can be used for this
purpose if properly adjusted. The hay
from the seed timothy is not as valua-
BILE for feed as early cut hay because it
has been allowed to stand until fully
ripe, but it is of considerable value and
should always be preserved, says writ
er in The New England Homestead,
authority for the foregoing.