The times., 1901-06-27
UNCLE SAM As A FARMER
Annual Harvest of the Hay Crop
on the Mall Now in Progress.

President Mckinley Receives the
Finest Stack for His Thorough
breds-High-Gr Feed for Other
Official Steeds-wnste for Packing
Uncle Sam for several days past has
been busiiy engaged in harvesting his an
nual crop of hay from the Government
meadows in the Mall and the smell of
new-mown hay has been very noticeable
In the vicinity of the big downtown parks
since the work was begun early this week
The United States Government, through
the Agricultural Department. has been
engaged In the farming business for many
years, but only once each year is an Off
cial crop OF a farm product harvested.
The Government is not in the business
for profit The hay raised on the public
domain hay fields, in the big stretch of
park from Third Street to Seventeenth.
Is used entirely by the horses employed
by the Government in the various de-
partments The crop is usually a good
one. although this year 1t is smaller than
for some years past.
Last year the hay crop In the Mall was
particularly large" said Col. Theodore A.
Bingham, Superintendent of Public Build
grass was of a very good quality. This
year the quality of the hay is considerably
poorer and the crop will not be so large.
This is due to the fact that we have had
considerable rain during the early sum-
mer. The abundance of moisture has
spoiled what would otherwise have been
an excellent crop. AS it is, large amount
of hay is now being harvested. Just what
quantity of hay the Government will cut
this year will not be known. as no official
record is made of the grass CROP The
amount Is quite large, however.
The meadows upon which the crop is
raised comprise nearly one hundred and
fifty acres of the best and most fertile
lands in the District of Columbia. Uncle
Sans farm Is situated In the heart of
the Capital City, and IL placed on the
market would no doubt fetch the largest
price ever paid for agricultural lands 1t
is the most expensive farm in the world,
and yet the Government is content to
raise only one product in year.
Uncle Sam is not greedy farmer. says
Colonel Bingham. Not only does the Gov
ernment raise but one farm product, but
he harvests only one crop in twelve
months. The first cutting of hay is the
only one which is used by the Govern
ment. All subsequent crops. and the
grass is cut many times during the sum-
mer. in ali the parks throughout the city,
are given free of cost TO the poor of
Washington. The single stipulation made
by the Department of Parks is that the
grass shall be hauled away. First come.
first served, = is the rule. The Park De-
partment annually gives away many tons
of high-grade hay without receiving a
penny for it.
The hay which Is now being harvested
is in the White Lot, the Monument
Grounds, and in that part of the Mall ad-
jaeent to and surrounding the Smithsen-
ian Institution. In the Monument Grounds
are eighty-two acres of land, while the
parks in the lower Mall, from which Off
cial hay is cut, comprise a tract of land
containing sixty-two acres. The land
here is very low, and has many times
been flooded during overfiows of the Po-
tomac. The soil. in consequence, Is ex-
ceptionally fertile. and the hay grown
there is tender and fine in quality.
AT all other seasons of the year the
hay is called grass. and only during the
harvest season is the farm term used.
The work is being done by the regular
force Of Government grass cutters, who
comprise an army of laborers. Moving
machines are used, horse rakes and all
the up-to-date implements in use on
hrst-clasS farm Many men are at work
with the oldfashioned hand scythes. but
the bulk of the work is being accomplish
ed on a hundred and dfty-acre basis.
The best grade hay is stored in the de-
partmental stables, and is used by the
Government horses. In this manner, by
the economical management of the parks.
the Government is saved no small amount
OF money every year. The hay goes a
long way toward reducing the expense at
tached to feed for the official horses.
When the horses have been given the best
portion of the hay the inferior grade will
be turned over to the various departments
and used for picking purposes, as it is
much better and cheaper than excelsior
The Smithsonian, Agriculture. and other
departments have need for a large
amount of packing material and they are
all glad to accept this favor.
Every year the finest hay stack pro-
duced is presented to President Mckinley
as a present for the Executive horses. The
stack which the President S thorough
breds will receive this year has already
been selected. 1t is now drying out in the
sun on the half-oyal back of the Monu-
ment and is as. fine a stack of hay as has |
ever been raised by Uncle Sam. This cour-
tesy Is always appreciated by the Presi- |
dent, as 1T is a custom of many years
The haycocks scattered over the we'll |
kept. grounds in the Mall give q very |
rural appearance to the neighborhood
a