108 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



vetch and one bushel of grain per acre is sufficient, while one to 

 two bushels of common vetch seed must be used. One of the 

 principal reasons why more vetch is not grown is the relatively 

 high cost of seed. 



Hay making. — To make hay of good quality a number of 

 important factors must be considered, such as the condition of 

 the weather, the proper time of cutting, and the j^roper time and 

 manner of curing and storing. 



Weather conditions. — This important factor, of course, cannot 

 be controlled by the farmer. Good hay cannot be made during 

 rainy weather. Much of the damage done by cutting during wet 

 weather could be avoided if farmers did not so generally depend 

 on their own ''guess" as to what the weather was going to be. 

 With the daily paper and the telephone available, the farmers 

 now have the weather forcasts of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, or can easily obtain them. These forecasts are the work of 

 hundreds of trained observers, working over a wide area, and 

 are very reliable. With more attention paid to these forecasts, 

 less damage by rain would follow. 



Proper time for cutting^. — The stage of maturity at Avhich 

 cutting gives the best results, varies somewhat with the plant 

 and with the use to which the hay is to be put. The common 

 grasses, when cut at an early stage, and well cured, make a good 

 hay. As a rule, they are cut just as they are beginning to bloom, 

 or just after the bloom has fallen. If cut when in full bloom, 

 the hay is sure to be more or less dusty. If cut after it has 

 reached a more mature state, a greater weight of hay may often 

 be secured, but it will usually be less palatable. In the case of 

 timothy, for home use it is usually cut at an early stage ; if for 

 the city market, it is cut at a more mature state. AVith clover 

 the best results are obtained if cut when in full bloom just as a 

 few heads turn brown. If left till a more mature state, there 

 will be a great loss of leaves, which contain the most protein. 

 Soy beans should be cut when the pods are well filled, and before 

 the bottom leaves turn yellow, while in the case of the cowpeas, 

 the yellow leaves at the bottom indicate that the proper time of 

 cutting has arrived. 



Proper curing. — When hay has been properly cured a change 

 has taken place that gives it a characteristic odor and makes it 

 palatable. This change is not simply a drying out but a fermen- 

 tation, brought about by enzymes present in the plant. 



It is well known that rains and excessive dews damage the 

 quality of hay. Excessive exposure to the sun is also damaging. 



