The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-06-26
PUTTING UP ALFALFA HAY
Writer in Field and Farm Gives
Out Ideas Appropriate at This
Season of the Year


crop and several cuttings to be Sc
cured in a season is a vastly different
proposition in this country than in
the East. There they NOW down a
few acres, let it cure then haul it
into the barn before cutting any
more for fear the whole thing will
get wet and spoil. Consequently
they make hay slowly and consume
great deal of time in securing a
little hay. Here with large areas of
heavy alfalfa it is necessary to go at
it more efficiently:
With the danger of rain practical
ly eliminated our farmers start in
with as many machines as they can
command and NOW down the whole
works. The cutting of alfalfa should
begin as soon as the first blossoms
appear. The plant then contains the
most protein and the stems are not
so woody. consequently there will be
less waste in feeding than if allowed
to grow longer, says Warren F. Will
cox in Field and Farm.
Another way to tell when 10 cut is
to watch for the new shoots at the
crown. AS they appear cutting
should begin regardless of the bloom,
for if allowed to remain too long
these new shoots will be cut off and
the new crop retarded. Likewise if
cut before these shoots start the next
crop will be delayed. The starting
of the shoots and the beginning of
the bloom are about simultaneous.
When rancher has no more than
Is to 80 acres it is quite convenient
for two or three neighbors to go to-
gether and exchange work in making
hay. There are several good reasons
for doing so. 1t requires a good bit
of help to handle hay crop right,
and for the man with but Is acres or
so it scarcely pays to pick up men
just for a few days and they are hard
to get, too, usually about impossible
for so short job at this particular
time. When hired men are so indif-
ferent a rancher takes a chance every
time he engages one.
By exchanging work the problem
is solved-no chance in getting men.
no cash outlay. no trouble for board
as each farmer boards himself. 1t is
often found quite satisfactory to ex-
change work. One man starts in
and cuts his hay and shocks it. While
it is curing another does the same.
Then the first is stacked and so on.
We follow the mowers within few
hours with the rakes. The alfalfa
must not be allowed to dry out in the
swath or windrow. For ifit does the
leaves fall off and the very best part
of the hay is lost. Rake it and shock
it green, and in from five to seven
days it will be air cured first-class
and can be handled with minimum
loss of leaves. | have seen alfalfa
that was cured in the swath after
the manner of curing hay back East
with the result that by the time it
was stacked it consisted of nothing
but stems. perfectly valueless stuff,
and the leaves were scattered all
about the field and lost.
The best way to stack alfalfa is
with slips and sings and Mormon
derrick. With three slips and spike
pitcher in the field, good man on
the stack and a boy to drive the
stacker team the process of putting
up hay is a cinch and the way the
field is cleared off and the hay slowed
away is a caution. The slips are
sled-like affairs close to the ground.