Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-07-01
Proper Curing of Hay.

L
The mechanical part OF curing hay
exerts . strong influence upon the physi.
cal changes that determine the nutritive
content. Good curing eliminates the
water from the plant, leaving oil the
other elements. When the bay is cut
with the mower, the plants fall back In
overlapping tiers, much as shingles on .
roof, with the heads and leaves exposed
to the sunshine and the stems under.
meath In the shade.
A couple of hours Of sunshine will
cure the leaves completely. Then, II
the hay be cured In the swatb, 1t must
be left lying until the moisture 10 the
heads and stems has been steamed out OF
them, and by that time the leaves are
dried to crisp, so that any handling Of
the hay results In the loss OF large per.
ceptage of the leaves.
The problem In curing is to obtain
uniform elimination of moisture through.
out the plant. Since the leaves are most
easily dried It would seem that the
proper procedure is to arrange the hay
plants before the sun has had an oppor.
tunity to scar the leaves in such a man.
ner as to leave the stems, which natural.
ly require the greatest amount OF dry
ing. exposed tn the sun, while the leaves
that require only small amount OF sun.
shine for curing are shaded.
CURE STEMS. FAsTEN THEIR LEAVES.
One prominent implement concern
claims to have solved the ploblem with
q specially designed side delivery rake,
which causes the hay to be rolled up In
large, loose bundles with the stem end
OF the plant exposed and the heads and
leaves held in the shaded interior of the
bundles. With such Q scheme. IL is, OF
course, necessary that the windrow be
very loosely built, so that air may freely
circulate through 1t and quickly absorb
and carry away the moisture that tran.
spires through the leaves. In case OF
rain, the same rake is used to give the
windrow half turn over on its side, 80
that 1t is deposited on drier ground and
the damp underside Is exposed to dry.
ABOLISH HAND LABOR.
Practically the same results are oh.
tanned by the use of other implements
or devices. For instance, where the hay
is exceptionally heavy In the swath,
tedder Is effective In reversing the dry.
ing surface, though on leafy hay, such
as clover or alfalfa, II must be used
judiciously, or some of the LEAKAGE will
be lost. Wipdrowing attachments for
mowers are also made, which consist OF
q set OF curved fingers extending to the
rear OF the mower cutter.bsr, and which
for light swaths are effective In turning
up the swaths 80 that Q maximum OF
the stem part of the plant is exposed.
These attachments can be used as bunch
ers by the addition OF side-bars which
hold the swath until tipped.
In some localities the method of har-
vesting the hay by raking with self.
dump rakes after cutting, and doing
practically all the rest manuslly, still
obtains. 1t probably is justifiable under
some circumstances, as when the fields
are small or irregular or inaccessible,
but where the crop is OF any consider
able extent 1t certainly is not productive
of the best economy. 1t does not con.
serve labor and II is so slow that Often
part OF crop is seriously damaged as q
result of over-ripenipg or unfavorable
W66tu6E UoiotO ~ Soo w
harvested. Hand pitching OF hay, both
in the field and at the stack or barn, is
arduous and slow, and while 1t is 10
accord with ideas of Ma1d Muller and
poetry, it has no place In the modern
bay. producing business.
Hay harvesting now can be accom-.
| plished with practically no manual
labor, II use be made of modern equip
ment. The hay is cut with 9 mower,
piled into windrows with side delivery
rake, and when cured, is loaded upon
racks by means of automatic hay-loaders
attached to the rear OF the rack gear and
deriving their power from the traction
OF the supporting wheels. The hay ID
then hauled to the NOW, where, with
fork or slings, carrier, and team OF
power hoist, It is unloaded directly into
the mow.-Karl J. T. Ekblaw in New
England Homestead.