The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-05-22
NOTES OF THE FARM. ;
By w. F. MASSEY, OF A. & M. College,


subscriber asks when is the best
rimc 70 cut red clover. He saws that
some tell him the time is when a
large part Of thefheads have turned
brown. but he thinks that he has seen
somewhere that the time is Just be-
fore blooming. Well neither is right
If we were TO cut the clover Just be
terr blooming. we would lose Il LARGE
nar1 Of the crop. and what we would
rel would be in an immature cOndi-
lion. and not as good food as a little
Itttr We would not wait for the
large. part of the heads to turn brown,
for then there is some loss Of value
Many farmers cut it in this state be
cause it is easier to cure at thar time.
The same men would let Timothy
GRASS get dead ripe before cutting.
Forage plants Of any kind should be
cut when they have the largest
amount Of digestibIe food in them
In the case OF clover. analysis shows
that its nutritiye value is greatest lust
when i'm full bloom, and experience
has shown that This is the time to cut
il for the best results in the hay.
\ farmer wrote me recently that he
had been advised to save his clover
Hav by cutting it and letting il lie
Tor tWentT-four hours. and then put
il i'm large cocks and let it remain
5or ten days. Then to put it into the
barn and if it began to heat to open
IL cat and air it to cool it off. | wrote
Lm that this was as good Il plan to
spoil hay as / ever heard Of. Glover
hay Ictt in cocks in the field for ten
days viii be certain to heat somewhat
in the cocks. and will be almost Ger
1ain 10 get some rain on ii. and rain
on clover hay is about as certain to
spoil it as anything else. Glover hay
that has been allowed to stand and
heat in the cocks and then taken to
the barn. viii be certain TO mould and
If II heats again IN the barn. and YOU
open it out to the air it is still more
certain TO mould.
The making Of good clover and pea
Vine hay is SO easy and simple that |
have wondered how amy one could fail
ii they go about it right. Glover and
pea vines should be cured in the same
way, except that the pea vines should
remain out doors longer than the
clover. In YER, hot and sunny wealth
er ! have hv the use of the teGder to
throw the bay up loose after the
mower. ruk"d and stored clover hay
"a t he barn the same day it was cut j
iut this j. seldom possible. and few
81 ear farmers have Il tedGer or ever
~,tE one. Hence the best way to
manage the clover is to mow it when
1t Is all i'm full bloom. and only Il
brown head here and there. If the
"falher is hot and sunny. rake the
morning moving into winroWs the |
same evening. Next day open it out
and dry il of. and if that afternoon
>od can take u handful and give it Il
HjFd twist and can see no sap
fI'H 20 the twist. ii will do TO 90 into !
me t'arn. Pack it away tightly and |
Then let il strictly alone. You will he !
certain 10 mould IT if you open it TO /
'""t It oil while heating. Let it alone I
t"d II will cure all right Never let il
Si"ad in WindGoW or shock long /
th''2h 10 begin TO heat. but get it /
"''' 1hc barn as soon as the twisting /
lest Is all right. The same method T
~ me one to use With the pea vine
""%. hh1 here there must be some /
variation because in some land the
I5'N grow HIuch StOuter than on
I"'' I"hd and peas that are not very
,".'" GROW with more sappy stems
'"'" peas that are very thick on the
-''HHd. But both clover and peas
-"'ii" he cured with as little expo
.i L" he sun as possible. and should
'' 'h' harn while still limp. so that
leaves the most valuable part
.'ne hay. Will be retained. The
~'"3 Test applies to peas as we'll
40 clover. One farmer wrote that
i'u my plan of barn curing pea
.4 MI'h much miseiving. but it was
''2HI ana last season he cured in
.., way without any doubt Of the re-
"'d mas the finest Of NAY we are
I"'\N glad when farmers write
nay making with clover and
T., '"r when man gets interested
7L N ne is on the road to success on
I. ' I''' Ipf he intends to feed that
E.,I make profit from the stock
:.I "t Is getting out Of the ruts
'@InnIng 10 farm.
W" End That there is y constant in
r.a, ',' regard TO the sowing Of va
htn%S like sorghum milIet or
"!"u@ With the pcas The oen
IMPRESSION seems ia he tbat
u...,. ''"@S grown along with the
has. ''' Guy with them Will make the
f,..t '"SltN cured The fact is
,.r-;.... rather interfere with the
fH.t.. """ make the hay worth less
grow, ""uil be If the peas were
..,"" ny Themselves. 10 make the
u. -o. pc" Ni"e hay the peas should
erc4.. ...,, very thicllIy. 50 that the
p. If '' NOT oct too stout and sap
a- r.. I TEE peas are sown as thickly
Room, Sh"Njd be there viii be no
aud ci,.. sorghum or anything else.
"reaft, g. co" pea hay has a far
fHro f. ''"In% value than the mix
caar...tI' 20" want hay of q different
then sow. .'"in that made from peas.
Sorgl.,n, ne seed by itself. for the
.."u.n win make Il better hay
wilt be- ne peas and The peas
%h.m '' better without the sor-
MO" county corrcspopdcr, saws