294 MAKING HAY. 



grass must be cut when young. Very much will depend on the 

 condition of the weather. If the sun is obscured by clouds and 

 rain descends every few hours, the grass intended for hay must 

 be left standing even though it bo going to seed. For making 

 hay wo need dry weather, but we can fill a silo rain or shine. 



Another reason for cutting early must not be overlooked. It 

 will bo noticed while reading the chapter on Insects Injurious to 

 Grasses and Clovers, that in many cases early cutting is recom- 

 mended as an effectual remedy. 



It will be ceen that i; is by no means an easy matter to select 

 the best time for cutting or the best process of curing grasses 

 and clovers, or to tell just how much it is safe to rely on chem- 

 ical analyses to help determine these questions; and when we 

 come to the test of feeding the difficulties aro still increased on 

 account of a changing climate, differences in the animals se- 

 lected, and other things only thought of by men who have care- 

 fully experimented in feeding domestic animals. 



Partially cured hay may be pressed into very solid bales, and 

 not injure by heating. It keeps much like ensilage in a silo. 



If the hay in the cocks is too damp, before drawing it should 

 be opened an hour or two. No fixed rule can be laid down to 

 guide the farmer. Remember that dew and rain wash out much 

 of the best portion of grass after it has been cured, or partially 

 cured. 



A few minutes of an expert will show a beginner how to put 

 hay into neat cocks of 75 to 200 Ibs. or more each. The hay at 

 the top should spread and hang down the sides to help carry off 

 rain, should any occur. General W. G. LeDuc, of Minnesota, 

 has the following on this topic: 



" There is an art in cocking the clover hay so that it will shed 

 rain, and the best hay makers in this locality claim to have ac- 

 quired the difficult art of thatching the clover cocks by dexterity 

 in handling the fork and laying the hay. They insist on taking 



