The Prescott daily news., 1916-07-20
FORAGE CROPS IN ARKANSAS.
No. s, Making and Curing Hay.

By Earl Fitzpatrick, Extension Agrc-
 nomist, University of Arkansas.
 About one-fifth of the hay that is used in the South is shipped in, which means that either the farmers have not realized the importance of producing it or consider it too hard to cure and save for there are several valuable crops that can be grown for that purpose. In a dry section mak- ing hay is comparatively an easy pro position, but in more humid regions where there are many rains or when ] harvesting is done late in the season it is far more difficult operation, and every year much hay is lost.
 The time to cut hay crop depends upon the plant, upon the season, and upon what is to be done with the hay. Alfalfa should be cut when the new shoots have just started from the crown, for this is the beginning of new crop, and if cut sooner or later the following growth will be checked. Crops increase in weight until matu,- ing time but if allowed to stand too i. long the stems become hard, unpalat- ! able, and more or less indigestible Most of the grasses should be cut just about blossom time, although many men do not cut them until ater and a poor quality of hay results. By cut ting clover in the blossom stage and cowpeas and soy beans when the first pods are beginning to get ripe, curing is much easier than if done early be- cause the stems do not contain such high percentage of water as when | younger. With legume crops there is danger of losing too many leaves if cutting is delayed
 The time that hay should lay on the ground in the swath varies with | the weather and with the crop. Much f of the moisture in the stems of the | legumes is given off through the | leaves, and if the sun is allowed to bleach them this process is stopped | and many of the leaves will also drop | off. Curing will take place more rapidly and much better quality of hay will be produced if raked into the window just as soon as the leaves are well wilted At this time but few leaves will be lost and these are Dy far the most valuable part of the plant. The green colored hay with the high aroma is always cured with- out letting it lay exposed to the sun. While the leaves of the grasses do not . fall off readily the feeding valve is | damaged if the sun is allowed to bleach them.
 Shocking has the advantage of les sening the surface exposed to the sun and to the rains. Tests show that rain does not damage the quality to a great extent if it falls on hay while 1t is still green but if it comes when curing is well advanced much of the food constituents will be washed out. The Colorado Experiment Station found that three showers with total fall of 1.76 inches during a period of fifteen days reduced the percentage of protein in alfalfa hay from 1871 | per cent to l1.01 per cent When hay becomes wet it should never be turnad until the outside has become dry. If shocking is well done the grasses will turn much water, but the more coarse legumes will shed but little. Tn building a shock the middle should always be kept full if it is expected to turn water.
 If hay is put into a big stack or into now before it has dried sufi-