The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-05-01

tlat 10 success that the cut alfalfa must
lie In an even. thin layer on the ground, so
that it may dry sufficiently for raking as
evenly as possible. This is specially i'm
portant il rain should fall soon after cut
ting. IL 1t lies as it falls. 1t will dry as
quickly as though cut after the rain. and
without damage. provided 1t had not al
ready dried too much before the rain.
whereas. II the dividing board were used,
the thick ridges and punches made by 1t
Wall not be In condition to a k for from
one to three days.. and in the meantime the
balance has been parched to a crisp, and
perhaps another rain falls and 1t Is all
seriously damaged.
we never cut more at one time thar we
can put into cocks before 1t Is dry enough
for the leaves to break. The secret of Sue
cess lies in never letting alfalfa get dry
until after 1t is in the NOW or stack. On
a good drying day, the mornings cutting
can be raked and cooked in the afternoon.
We have sometimes handled it three hours
after cutting. II very heavy When raked.
small cocks should be made. n 1t will
tax a little longer for 1t to get dry enough
Tor the stack or NOW. but the quality Of
hay will not suffer. In cutting, 1t is not
necessary to wait for dew or rain to dry
OFT, as with clover. as 1t does not mat to
the ground. but lies loose enough for the
air to pass through. Windows should not
be made too large. In a good crop they
should only be about ten steps apart. We
put two. or two and one-half dumps Of
the rake in a cock and never bunch it with
the rake. but make neat, round-topped
cocks by stacking one forkful on top of
another. Alfalfa handles SO nicely that
this work can be done very rapidly, es-
peclally by making rather small cocks,
which are the best in every way.
We never risk any hay in the windrow.
II 1t Is to be rained on before 1t is cooked
up we prefer it in the swath. Therefore,
II the weather is threatening we only rake
a little at a time, and never leave WING
rows over night. When safely in the cock
we consider 1t practically secure. No or
binary wind will disturb 1t nor rain dam
age 1t to any extent IL it is left alone. 1t
should never be touched after a rain until
the weather has settled and 1t has dried
out so that by turning the cocks upside
down in the morning they will do to put in
the same day.
III the cocks are not too large, all the
surplus moisture will he found next to the
ground and will evaporate very rapidly
when exposed to the sun and wind. They
will be set and firm, shaped like half an
orange. and a man can turn over a row
OF them as fast as he can walk across the
field. If more are turned over than can
be put In that day the rest can be turned
upright In a few minutes, and will be I'm
nearly as good shape. as IL never dis
turbed.
Alfalfa hay made in this way retains
all its leaves (the most valuable part). its
bright green. and is as much better than
the bleached. leafless stem put UP by
more careless methods-and often with as
much, or more, labor-as bright, well
cured corn fodder is better than the
weather beaten stalks we saw In the fields
along the road today.
To the skeptical ones, who are looking
for the easy way and think this Involves
too much labor. I will only say, try it,
especially IL you have already had some
sad experience following some other meth
cd.
Remember. never let one part of the
work get ahead of another. Get the hay
into the cock as soon as possible after it
is cut. and never tear those cocks to pieces
until you are ready to put the hay In i'm
mediately.