Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-06-27
Har vesting tho Hay Crop.

harvesting tho f1ay Crop.
| Haying In the eastern states 10 whs
harvesting 10 In the corn and wheat bel
Of the middle west. 1t is the big thin(
of the year, and preparedness il essen
tial. The thrifty farmer IL always read,
for hsying the last Of june. He has al
his machinery and Implements at hand
and has also laid in . supply Of forks
rakes, scythes, knives, sections, bolts
etc., 80 - TO avoid trip to town when {
slight accident occurs.
He has also his extra help engaged
and sees to IL that he IL not . hand short
or has one too many. We find that Eve
horses, six men and . boy-I am the
boy now-makes working team on our
farm. This enables rs to have three
men In the field loading, and three In the
barn, storing the hay. We have o hay
loader, but as our farm 10 walled into
small fields, and our apple trees are
widely distributed We do not use It. Be-
sides, We find that three men can handle
the hay - chesply In the field a. We can
do It with the loader.
One of the teams can be released the
last OF the afternoon to NOW or assist In
raking. The other can leave their loads
In the barn overnight. There IL always
spraying, cultivating, hoeing and weed
ing to be done, whore general farming 10
practiced. 20 into these details be-
cause I have observed that Q man with
the capacity of leadership will get twice
as much work done, without buster or
friction, as one without generalship. In
good weather We get In from six to 10
tons hay day. Our maximum was II
tons.
Next In Importance is the time OF cut
ting the hay. We plan to begin when
timothy and clover are in bloom-a little
before rather than after this stage is
reached for two reasons: The hay is
more palatable and has double the feed
ing value when 1t contains the bloom
and sap than to allow It to stand until
ripe and woody. Besides 1t takes vastly
less out of the soil than when allowed to
remain until ripe. The seed, We are
told, is what exhausts the fertility of the,
soil. Then again, We get double or
more second crop than when hay Is cut
later. During the dry seasons our early
cut fields gave rs q fair crop of rowen.
All of them had to be moved the second
time.
It requires much wisdom and study to
cut 200 tons hay and not have 1t injured
by being harvested too early or too late.
But If farmer has June or witch grass
be can begin haying by the middle Of
June. We are, happily, free from both
of these-shall say pests or unproit-
able cropsa Great skill and judgment
are required In curing hay. It put In
too green 1t is liable to heat. II over.
dried its feeding value is greatly reduc-
ed. We have never had hay injure that
was put into the NOW free from water,
especially If stored in the middle of the
day-hot from the field. Timothy Is
less liable to heat than clover and mixed
grasses. The best way to cure clover is,
doubtless, in the cock. But IL moved 10
the forenoon, and raked before the dew
falls, 1t can stay in the windrow over
night, and needs simply to be turned
next day before hauling to the barn. 1t
is very Injurious for clover to be expos
ed to the hot sun. The same is true of
other classes of hay, but not to the same
extent. .
used to fear storing slack dried hay in
large mows. But our experience in late
years has been that the larger the NOW
and the more thoroughly packed the
better. The air is excluded, and 1t 10
preserved from overheating the same as
when closely trodden in the silo. We
are told that slack dried alfalfa should be
as much ss possible. This
may be true of clover, especially second
crop. Judgment is needed, especially
when hay is put In In damp weather.
There are many mysterious fires that
are caused by spontaneous combustion.
We can lay down no infallible rules.
Every farmer must read, study, and OBJ
serve the methods of others; then use
his own reason, and learn from expert
ence, what 10 best for him. The side de-
livery rake is doubtless one Of the most
profitable implements on the farm whore
the fields are large and free from OBJ
struction. 1t leaves the hay much light
or In the windrow, 80 as to allow the
free circulation Of the air. It can also
be easily turned In the windrow with the
rake. In that case only small portion
of the hay is exposed to the sun. As /
have already stated, We should expose
our hay, especially clover, as little as
possible to the burning rays of the sun.
George L. Gleason In New England
Homestead.