TIME TO CUT GRASS. 141 



and go into the seed and grain as it approaches maturity. 

 In the green state they may be more diluted, more watery ; 

 but their cells, the structure of the plant itself, are less 

 woody, and more digestible. A material that is indigestible, 

 that must pass bodily through the animal, cannot furnish 

 much nourishment; and animal nourishment is the main 

 thing that we are after. That is just what we cut and cure 

 hay for. 



We have taken a very great step in advance in adopting 

 the practice of cutting our grass earlier than formerly. It 

 was customary, a few years ago, to begin haying the day after 

 the 4th of July, if the farmer and his hired men felt like 

 working then : if not, it might be begun a day or two after 

 that. But now, take the State over, I think the practice is 

 to begin not very far from the middle of June. Of course 

 seasons differ somewhat, and the farmer may make a mistake 

 sometimes. We are obliged to fall back upon our judgment 

 and common sense in the last resort ; for we must take our 

 chances ; and, as the seasons go, I think it is better, on the 

 whole, to begin haying early, if it is practicable to do so. 

 Many farmers object to it, because they think they must get 

 through with their hoeing in the first place ; and that is cer- 

 tainly a matter to be considered. But it ought to be borne 

 in mind, that, with our present facilities for securing tliis im- 

 portant crop, — with our mowing-machines, horse-rakes, and 

 hay-tedders, — we can handle the grass-crop infinitely better 

 than we could twenty years ago ; so that we are not necessa- 

 rily driven so much in haying as we were then. I remember 

 the time when we began about the 5th or 6th of July with 

 the scythe ; and nothing else could be touched until August, 

 and sometimes later than that. Now, with our advantages in 

 handling the hay-crop, we can carry on the hoeing to a rea- 

 sonable extent in connection with the haying. I think that 

 is a practice which ought to be generally adopted. We can 

 keep along the hoeing, and not let the weeds get ahead of us. 



Now, with regard to our arable land and the grass that is 

 cut in the regular rotation of crops, there can be no doubt 

 that we have made great improvement in the last twenty 

 years, though not so great, perhaps, as we ought to have 

 made in that time. But how is it with the management of 

 our permanent pastures ? Here improved management must 



