Year: 1861

To make good hay is quite as much an
art as to make good butter. Il it no, too
much to say, that two-thirds Of the hay
which is sent to market either in bales or
in wagons, is not of the first quality. As,
however, the difference between first and
second class hay is not generally under.
stood by the consumer, the price varies
but letter between the one and the other.
| Yet il cannot be doubted, that one ton Of
hay properly harvested and properly cured
contains an amount Of nutriment equal 10
ton and half Of hay cut at the wrong
season, or subjected to deterioration by
improper management We will take
that fayorate hay, Timothy" as an IL
lustfation, and we beg leave 10 say that
our remarks upon Timothy will apply 10
all the other grasses. Timothy, when
brought to market, frequently varies from
light straw color TO a dark fawn. Ia
this condition, It is evident that portion
of its nutritious qualities have been lost.
The proper time for cutting hay, as re-
peated experiments have proved, is at that
period when the sugar and soluble matter
contained in the stem and blade has reach
ed the stage when, by the next process,
it would be converted into fibre. Now
the period when the saccharine juices are
most abundant, sis when the grass is in
full bloom, and before the seed is formed.
If cut at that time, the whole Of the nulri-
live properties of the grass will be re-
tanned if left until later, two results will
ensue-the maturing Of the seed will
materially exhaust the land upon which
it is grown, whilst the nutrImenl furnished
by the seed will not compensate for the
loss of nutriment in the stem and blade.
In point Of agreeable product, also, there
is a manifest difference the greatest
weight Of grass and the largest amount
Of nutriment being furnished by the plant
when in flower. That we are not exag-
gerating the importance Of due regard
being paid to cutting hay at the proper
season Will be readily understood when
we state that the best authorities agree
in this" that plants Of nearly all sorts
if cut when in full vigor-which is at
their towering afterwards carefully |
dried, without any waste Of their nutri-
tive Juices, contain nearly double the
quantity Of nulritive matter which they
do when allowed to attain their full
growth and make some progress towards
decay"


This fact being established, the next
points requiring explanation are, what
constitutes the philosophy Of hay making, /
and what process is most in conformity |
ha r,hf hui
Of hay making. Il is thus explained:


Experiments show tat out Of the
various constituents Of which grass is
composed, the mucilage, starch, gluten,
starch and sugar, which are soluble in
water, are alone retained in the body Of
an animal for the purpose Of life, that
bitter extractive and saline matters being
considered as assisting or modifying the
functions Of igeslions-Taiher than as
being truly nutritive parts Of the compound |
and being voided with the woody fibre. 1
The woody fibre serves only to give bulk /
to the food, and therefore distension 10 the |
stomach, which, when moderately filed, /
brings those muscles into active exercise
which tend so much TO promote healthy
digestion, BY keeping the food IN constant |
notion"


"The principal object, then, which is TO
be aimed at in hay making, is TO retain
the soluble portion Of The grass in perfee.
integrity"


How is that to be accomplished We
give the naodus operandi as briefly as is
consistent with clearness Of statement


The mowers should be good workmen
the scyihes Of good quality, and kept per-
fectly sharp. The grass should be cut
evenly and as near 10 the groond as poss-
ible-an inch saved below is equivalent to |
two inches abOve-and, moreover, this
close cutting facilitates the growth Of the 1
after maih. As soon as the dew is of, /
the grass in swath should be shaken up
and lOosened to let the air penetrate |
through tiff heavy, II should be spread /
around 10 some distance. As soon as the 4
sun acquires power, the swath should be I
again shaken up and turned over, the OBJ I
iect being 10 prevent lis becoming bleach /
ed by the heat Of the sun, by retaining
IT'S colour even when dry enough 10 rake /
up INTO winnows, and thence into cocks
the proper colour Of well cured hay being
a light tea green This process should te /
followed Up day after day, until the hole
crop has been cut and secured. Each
day. however. the boy thrown into cock
the day preceding. should If the weather
continues fine, b. thrown open and Lightly
spread TO hasten the drying, and towards