l8oO, On the Management of Hay. l8^ 



it comes into flower, or as fooii as the firft flowers 

 blow : At that period, it is in no fhape exhaufted, either 

 by blowing a multitude of flowers, or forming feeds, 

 and contains, all the ufeful qualities of which its nature 

 is capable : After that period, it daily diminiflies in va- 

 lue, becomes tough, faplefsj and unpalatable, and is not 

 chewed without confiderable difficulty. This rule ap- 

 plies to every fpecies of herbage that is meant to be 

 dried for "Winter food ; but to coarfe hay, the produce 

 of wet or marfliy grounds, it is ftrongly applicable ; 

 for, as we have already obferved, mofb of the plants 

 which grow in thefe fituations, when they are in full 

 vigour, are as tender, and contain perhaps as great a 

 proportion of nourifliing juices, as any other defcrip- 

 tion of hay ; and, when cut at that ftage, and properly 

 managed afterwards, form a valuable article of food 

 both for flieep and cattle j but when the cutting is de- 

 layed, as indeed it very often is, till an advanced period 

 of the feafon, when the plairts have not only reached 

 their ultimate growth, but begun to decay, this defcrip- 

 tion of herbacre becom.es at once the coarfefl and leafl 

 nourifhing of all food. 



This opinion does not proceed upon theory, but upon 

 the folid ground of experiments carefully made upon 

 many different kinds of herbage, at different periods of 

 theii- growth, the refult of which eftabliflies a fadt that 

 cannot be too generally known, viz. that plants of all 

 iorts, if they are cut when in full vigour, and afterwards 

 carefully dried, without any wafte of their natural juices, 

 either by bleaching v/ith rain, or exhalation, contain, 

 weight for weight, a quantity of nourifliing matter near- 

 ly double what they do, when allowed to attain their fuU 

 growth, and make fomc progrefs towards decay. 



Hay of all kinds fhould certainly be cut at the period 

 v/e have mentioned, and, if pofhble, during dry weather ; 

 and, in place of being fuftered to remain in the fwath 

 for days, as is commonly done, Vvomen \\-\Ca forks or 

 rakes Ihould follow the cutters, and fpread it in fuch a 

 manner as to allov/ the fun and air free accefs to the 

 whole. If this operation is properly performed, and the 

 weather favourable, tlie hay that was cut in the morn- 

 ing will be ready tc» be put into fmall cocks by mid-day, 

 where it may remain for two or three days ; at the end 

 of which, if the weather is dry, they may be throu-n 

 down early in the morning, and, after bein^ expofcd 



to 



