Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-06-25
THE HAY CROP.
What Commissioner Gilman Has tc
Say on the Subject.

In the June number of the Bulletin
of the Agricultural Department Com
missioner Gilman has the following
concerning the hay crop, one of the
chief products of Maine farms:
Notwithstanding the increased use
OF ensllage and various supplemental
crops in recent years, the hay crop is
still one of the most important crops OF
the farm, and we believe that many OF
| The farms of Maine are capable of pro-
| ducinS more tons of hay to the acre
than they are producing at present.
Mr.. Dana II. Morse of Randolph. VT.
who has been very successful in raising
hay upon his farm, was one of the
| speakers who addressed the farmers of
Maine along this line this spring. The
| following are some of his suggestions to
the hay producers of Maine:
"One Of the best methods of raising
very heavy grass, on either wet or dry
land, is found in returning sod lands to
grass at the earliest possible time after
blowing that the soil can be wen fitted
for the purpose. Heavy soil plowed in
July and August and fortified with ten
or fifteen two horse loads of fine stable
manure, spread evenly upon the in
verified sod land. thoroughly narrowed
and pulverized, can be seeded to redtop
as late as the fifteenth of September
with good results. About six pounds Of
redtOp to the acre, sowed any time
when the land is ready, with the addi-
ton Of the same quantity of alsike
clover. sowed in the early spring fol
lowing, will make quite a heavy stand
at first cutting and will come to full
blossom at the second cutting in Sep
tember. Alsike clover will thrive on
very wet soil. and the combination
makes an excellent feed for all kinds Of
stock, while the quantity will be en-
tirely satisfactory, as two crops year
for two successive years will be pro-
duced.'
For commercial purposes timothy
hay finds the most ready market but
for feeding value, except possibly for
horses, it is among the poorest grasses
grown upon the farm, as analysis has
frequently proven. Besides, it is purely
4 surface grass, depending almost
wholly upon soil fertility for its growth
and production. It has been discovered
that the 50 called leguminous plants.
as clover peas, beans, etc, can take up
nitrogen from the air, and can grow
without being MANFRED with nitrogen
il the soil contains phosphoric acid ana
potash. Since nitrogen costs the farm
er from II to 20 cents 4 pound if pur-
chased. is it not important that the
farmer should secure this costly fertil-
izer by growing clover? Another and
no less important reason for growing
clover is its feeding value as compared
!, al ar. En-
on good authority that clover hay con-
tains about twice as much protein as
hay from the common grasses, much
more fat and rather more carbOhy-
drates. Also | have found it to be the
hay which dairy cows and young stock
of all kinds like the best. If clover hay is
cut in the month of June, before it is
one-half blOsSOmed, and cured and put
into the barn in the right condition, [
believe there will not be pound of It
that the cattle will not eat. The sue
cessful growing of red clover is no lon
ger an experiment upon our farms one
of the most successful ways now
practiced in Vermont for seeding lands
to clover is i'm a well prepared corn
field. Glover seed sown in the first
days of July, with corn standing a
foot or more high, will be well protect
ed from the parching sun, and will
make sufficient growth to stand our
winters. On rich and heavy soil 72l
pounds to the acre with or 4 quarts Old
timothy is sufficient, but upon lighterI
and dryer land 16 pounds, with about
the same amount of timothy. will
generally give better results. Glover
sod should be plowed at least every
two years. 1t has been ascertained
that clover turf has nearly the same
tonnage in roots that it has in hay,
and that these roots are of great value
as Il fertilizer. adding humus to the
soil. q necessary element of plant
growth. hence the advantage of fire.
quent blowing Of clover"
Il wish to emphasize the Importance
of early cutting Of hay. Practice.
science, observation and good sense all
combine their testimony in favor Of
carly cut hay, in regard to it's COM
position and diSestibility. All scien-
lists tell us that young grasses while
rapidly growing contain more protein
the most costly food element to buy
and less fibre than mature ones. The
stock in our June pastures confirm
these claims. we are also advisedly
admonished that grass. in ripening,
transmits a large part of it's protein
and starch from the leaves and stems
to the seeds. which are seldom, if ever.
digested Generally they are lost in
curing, together with the over ripened
leaves. In the language Of the scientist,
The hay made from fully ripe grass is
essentially straw.