The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-11
AgricuItural Department
CONDUCTED sY FULTON s. WHITE.

1 that the shocks will dry out before oui | fall rains.
 i In Texas, Oklahoma and other western sections, quite an acreage of milomaizt is sown and when the heads are matured these are cut for the grain. When thg tops are thus cut out the stalks put oui a new. growth of suckers, and this croI is cut for hay. This would be a ready and cheap crop for many sections oi Alabama and for the south generally for this is crop that will not only grow on very thin land, but is a great drouth resister The fodder of this is not SC l good as that of the sorghum. and il Is grown more for the grain than for fod- der, Tn addition to the many tame crops of grasses and forage plants there Is a | great crop of wild grass and there will be an unusual heavy cut of wild hay, Then farmers are better prepared to care for the hay than ever before.
 In Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois, all of which states l have just passed through l find the hay harvest in full headway and the crops fine. In Colorado the hay crop is chiefly alfalfa, with scattering crops of oat and wheat hay, and but little wild grass fit for hay. Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska all have fine crops of bofh wild and tame grasses for hay.
 Iowa, Missouri and Illinois all depend on the tame grasses and clovers for hay Through Kentucky and Tennessee the crops of both clover and peas for hay is fine and these are the main hay crops though large crops of German millet Is also grown,
 Hay harvesting in all sections Is a work that should be well provided for ahead and when the time for work comes the work should be pushed rapidly for a few days often makes great difference on the crop and the crop may be saved or lost in the few days Then there is another very important matter, which is | the stacking. Not every farmer has room to store his hay in the house or under shelter and so has to stack Now where hay is not properly stacked it is sure to become greatly damaged if not entirely lost In the great hay making states mentioned above there are expert stackers, men who make this work a study and practice and a good stacker of grain and hay is always in good demand at good wages.
 l Both clover and peavine hay are diff feult to stack, and when stacked at all | should be stacked with oat or wheat 1 hay or straw. The main idea is to start the stack straight and to carry It up 1 straight, smooth and even all around | keeping the stack full in the middle and well tramped in the middle, so that when the stack settles it will be left full In the center so as to turn off the rain. Then 1t is always well to cap the stacks with wheat or oat straw, then weight all so that the stacks may resist the wind- storms. Now l have given these gener- al outlines for making hay, which, if fol- | lowed out will be all right, in the main yet the farmer must be governed large- ly by the weather and general circum- stances.
 Tn view of the great shortage which we are sure to have this year on the corn crop it is of the greatest importance that every bit of hay that is in sight be saved and saved at the proper time and in the proper manner, so as to have it at its best for feed, for where farmer has good supply of fine hay he can manage to get along with but little grain. But a word of advice again about getting the hay saved so as to get the most out of it.
 Now it is lamentable fact, yet an .undsputed one. that there is very much hay saved in a manner which renders 1t unfit to feed to work horses or mules, and saved so that stock will not eat it unless they are starved to It. Let the hay crop be cut at the right time. cured right and properly stored. then 1t will be