The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-08-13
FARMER AND PLANTER.
pALATABIE CLOVER Hay.
Il 10 Best For Dry Rou@haEc and Al
most Perfectly Balanced
Ration.

] make clover hay because it Is the
most palatable of dry roughage, and
Is almost perfectly balanced ration.
Glover hay is most palatable when
1t is fine ami clean. To have 1t fine
we must have q perfect stand, and
since we have learned how and when
to SOW, that Is easy. We all know
either from experience or observation
that poor, thin stand makes coarse,
unpalatable hay.
With good stand there will be
few weeds and the few that do grow
the first year are clipped along with
the wheat or oat stubble Immediately
after the harvest. This gives us clean
hay the following season.
We grow clover because it has near
ly three times as much digestible pro-
tein as timothy, millet or oat hay, IL
cut at the right time. Glover contains
most protein when the plant is in full
bloom, and If properly cured is then
most palatable. This at least is what
our mich cows say, and they are ex-
cellent judges of the value of feeds.
Substitute straw for tie hay and the
milk flow will at once be affected.
Until we can control the rainfall or
hit upon some practical method of
putting the hay into the NOV imme-
diately after it is cut, we can not al
ways have the best OF clover hay. We
watch the barometer and the weather
reports, and when they promise fair
weather we run the mower the after
noon of the day before we expect to
take UP the hay.
surface of the swath is thoroughly
wilted We start the tedder. 1t is diff
ficult to make good hay without the
tedder, for if the swath is not stirred
the top is burned brown or black, and
the under side is not cured at all. In
curing, tons of water must be evapor.
ated from the leaves of the clover.
Water escapes from the plant most
rapidly as the leaves are whiting. Sift-
ing keeps all the leaves whiting. Two
or three hours before it is dry enough
to go to the barn we rake the clover
Into small windrows. At this stage we
lose none of the leaves or blossoms,
the most palatable part Of the plant.
We prefer, too, that the curing be
finished in the windrow, for then 1t
cures in the shade-tte ideal condi.
ton for curing hay if We would pre-
serve the color and flavor Just be.
fore the hay is dry enough so that
leaves or blossoms will not be lost in
handling, we put it under cover.
So far as possible the hay is packed
evenly and closely in a tight NOV,
never allowing it to pile up under the
hay fork. After NOW has been filled,
no more hay should be put on it until
the first lot has gone through the
heating period, nor should it be in any
way disturbed The barn doors are
kept closed.
When We stack clover we always
cover with boards. straw, or grass to
keep off rain. We have not found it
practical TO put clover in cocks to
cure. 1t is sometimes injured by rain
and adds somewhat to the expense of
harvesting.
By following this plan we have hay
to feed as bright and paiatable as the
day 1t was put into the barn. 1t is
a good maintenance ration for horses,
stock, cattle and sheep, and is next
thing to green pastures for hogs, dairy
cows and poultry.-H. #. McMahan in
Orange Judd Farmer.