The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-05-09
I Million Dollars
For First Cutting Of
Alfalfa in Okla.

ii'y II, NJ. COtuell, AGRICULTURAL Com
missioner Rock Island Lines)
Oklahoma farmers should IN the
next six weeks get four million dol
lars from the sale Of their first cut.
ting Of alfalfa. The country from the
Rocky mountains to The Atlantic is
short Of hay and hay is bringing I'M
usually high prices Oklahoma farm
ers will be the first to have any large
quantity to market and should mar
ket their alfalfa as early as possible
and in the best possible condition,
considering the weather
There is an extreme shortage OF
both cattle and hogs In Oklahoma, 80
that the farmers can afford to sell all
the first cutting Of alfalfa except tho
small amount heeded for work horses.
The money that this alfalfa will bring
to Oklahoma farmers will come in be-
fore the wheat money and win make
conditions better all over the state.
The better quality the hay the more
money 1t win bring and little care.
less handling among the growers will
reduce the price one-third to one.
half
Alfalfa hay brings top prices when
Il Is bright green in color, half the
total weight consisting OF leaves and
the aroma is rich
The first cutting should be made
when not over one-tonth Of the plants
have come in bloom. II the grower
feels reasonably sure OF weeks dry
weather It win pay to cut as soon as
few plants have blossomed This
will put the hay on the market week
earlier
TO make alfalfa hay that will bring
high price, the plants after being
cut. must be exposed as little as pos
sible to tie sun. Pound for pound,
alfalfa leaves are worth four times az
much MS the stems. Where alfalfa is
cut and allowed to cure in the swath.
the sun quickly kills the leaves and
makes them SO brittle that large
proportion drops or
The quicker the alfalfa plant Is
thoroughly cured after cutting the
better; and quick curing can be best
secured by a method Of handling that
viii keep the leaves out Of the sun
The hay maker who gets the highest
price for his hay handles the cut
plants so as to keep the leaves allvel
as long as possible When the plant
is growing, the leaves pump moisture
from the soil and evaporate It into
the air After the plant is cut, as
long as the leaves are alive, they keep
pumping the water out OF the stems
and eyaporate 1t into the air II the
leaves Of The cut alfalfa plants can be
kent alive for twelve 10 twenty four
hours they will Thoroughly dry out the
plants, making good hay u the leaves
are killed quickly by letting the hay
lle In the swath. the water slowly
evaporates from the stems and It takes
several days ior The first cutting to
cure. The way TO keep the leaves
alive Is to keep them shaded,
The easiest wax that | have used,
provided il does not rain. is to start
the mower p the forenoon after the
dew has gone; follow the mover il
thirty minutes with a side delivery
rake throwing TIVE wlndrows togcth.
er putting most Of the plSats out of
the sunlight TheneNt forenoon. after
the moved ground becomes dry and
hot run ihe side delivery rake to
throw me winarows over On the bare
ground where the heat wlll help cure
the hay
The onls way sAal ] have been able
70 MAKE eoea bag III shorsry weathkFI
"a 70 put # Up d sall narro4 cocks