The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1928-05-17

so l explained to him that al
falfa hay should be cured and not
dried, and showed him how a side
delivery rake and hay loader
would handle his Is acres of alfal-
ia, and he was very much pleased.
Side Rake, Loader Save Labor
The next day when I came back,
I noticed that he had gone to town
and purchased side delivery
rake and a hay loader. During
the season, he took off an average
of five tons to the acre from three
cuttings, or rs tons of alfalfa hay
off these Is acres. He told me
his machinery saved him from
having to hire a lot of help. The
side delivery rake and hay loader
had paid for themselves by proper
ly and economically handling his
15-acre field of alfalfa. And they
will be good for at least 10 or 10
years. He had to hire only one
man, and with the aid of his IA
year-old son and 12-year-old
daughter they were able to care
for all this hay.
Method More Important
Than Time
In choosing the time to cut,
there are many things to take in
to consideration. What are you
going to use the hay for-dairy
cattle, horse feed, or to bale and
sell? Is your field in system of
crop rotation If so, you would
not be so particular about the long
life of all your plants.
The proper manner Of curing to
save the leaves and color of the
hay is much more important than
whether you cut it when it is one
tenth, one-third, one-half or in
full bloom, and this whether you
are going to use it for dairy cat
tie, beef cattle, sheep, horses or
chickens, or sell for cash crop.
For beginners, we found that
the most successful results have
been secured when they begin cut
ting the hay when it is about one.
tenth in bloom. In large field,
unless you have excellent weather
and a large crew of haymakers,
before you get through, some of
the field will be in full bloom.
When the hay is about one-tenth in
blossom, the little shoots at the
base of the plant will be about
one-half to one inch in length.
This will give. a fine quality of
hay as to palatability, color and
texture, and as far as permanency
of stand, will work out quite sat
isfactorily for you, using a 5-year
rotation for your alfalfa fields. Of
course, the permanency of the
stand and also your yields will be
improved by leaving your alfalfa
go to full bloom, although it is
harder to save the leaves, doesn't
make as nice texture or color of
hay, and the hay is less palatable.
So, it is really up to the grower
to apply the above facts to his
own conditions and needs. Then
decide at what stage to cut.
I have made a careful study of
methods used on different farms
throughout Minnesota. I found
that because of the lack of infor-
nation and experience, too many
followed the method of cutting the
hay in the morning as soon as the
dew was off and allowing it to lie
in the swath where the sun beat
down on it and the hot sun and
winds burned the life and color out
of the hay.
"Bleed" Alfalfa Too
While the alfalfa plant is grow
ing it pumps moisture out of the
ground by way of it's roots. This
passes up through the plant and
goes out by evaporation through
its leaves. So when you have cut
the hay from the crown of The
plant, you stop any new supply
of moisture. Still, you want to
keep this moisture evaporating out
through the leaves in order to
properly cure it, and at the same
time save the leaves. If the hay
lies in the windrow, the hot rays
of the sun and heat of the wind
will soon curl up the leaves. Then
the moisture has to pass out
through the stem of the plant.
Therefore, the secret of curing the
alfalfa hay is to keep the leaves
from curling up.
Get Leaves Down and
Stems Up
How are you going to do this?
When the hay falls back over the
sickle bar, the leaves are mostly
on top because the leaves of any
plant strive at all times to face
the light. To keep the leaves from
curling up, turn the swaths upside
down as soon as possible so as to
get the leaves down near the