Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-06-27
Correspondence
A HEAVY HAY CROP.

A writer in the Twin Falls News
has the following regarding the
present hay crop, which is equally
applicable to the North Side tract.
THE haying season is again APP
preaching and farmers are asking
each other, What are you going to
do with your first cutting Of alfalfa?
This can be better answered W hen
they see what they are able to do
with it. Our unlimited outlet to
the east this season was caused 10y
the extreme drouth in that section
last year and may not happen again
in wears. Yet no doubt there
will be some demand arising for
the better grades OF alfalfa for
milling and city dairy trade, but
the farmers and dealers may rest
assured that they will not often
have demand that will take the
poorer grades of hay at as good
figures as during the last few
months.
1.-THE general hay crop will be
much larger this year than last and
unless some unforeseen condition
arises the market will probably re-
main bearish throughout the season.
The best grades of alfalfa will prob
ably find'a market at fair price
some time during the year, but
poorly cured hay will, in all prob
ability, have to be consumed at
home, as hay that has been sun
burned and stripped of its leaves
after cutting, or damaged in any
of the many ways that are so hard
to avoid, cannot be marketed at
profit above the expense which nee
essarily accumulates in baling and
loading on board the cars.
1t is quite true that the only
practical method of marketing hay
from the farm is by feeding it to
good stock, but the farmer will al
ways realize sufficient compensation
for the extra care taken to preserve
the quality and grade, and any
method of handling that is known
to damage the color or shell the
leaves from the stalks should at
once be abandoned, as these two
requirements are essential to the
profitable marketing of alfalfa,
whether it leaves the farm in the
bale, in the cream cans, or on the
hoof
The man who expects to sell his
alfalfa at a good price just because
it is his and because he needs the
money, if he has not adhered strict
ly to the rules of good hay making,
will find the skillful producer step
ping into the good markets ahead
of him and he will be compelled to
dispose of his stuff at loss.
THE proper methods of handling
alfalfa are too well known to require
any detailed explanations here, but
| wish to emphasize the fact that
color and texture must be preserved,
as they indicate value iust>as surely
as smoke indicates fire.
For early marketing alfalfa can
be baled from the field, but in every
instance the man with the pitchfork
must know just what he is doing,
for the very properties that make
our hay of such high feeding value
also make it very perishable. If
you allow it to get too dry in the
gavel and then strip the leaves off
when you rake it up, it will not
spoil in the bale for it will be al
ready worthless. Almost any one
who can drive a team can run the
modern improved hay-making ma
chinery, but it takes skill and dill
gence to manufacture a field of
growing alfalfa into well-cured hay.
Do not fail to get the first cut
ting off the ground as early in the
season as possible, as it very greatly
increases the chances of getting the
third off without damage from late
rains and frost. HIP. f.
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