GRASS AND HAY 189 



which produce hay of good quality. (W. J. Spillman in "Farm 

 Grasses of the United States.") 



All seem to agree that hay should remain in the swath only 

 until dry enough to be raked evenly into windrows ; that most of the 

 curing should take place in the cock rather than in the swath or 

 windrow; and that just as quickly as it is safe to do so, it should 

 be placed in the stack or mow. With fair weather and hot sun light 

 crops may be raked soon after mowing, often in two or three hours. 

 Heavier crops especially when green require more time. Being un- 

 wilted the first night's dew does not injure it. If the crop is heavy 

 the tedder is started the next morning as soon as the dew has dried 

 off, and the hay is gone over as many times as possible during the 

 day. Just before evening it is raked and cocked. The hay then 

 stands in the field for two nights and a day until the dew is off the 

 second day. The cocks are then scattered and aired, especially the 

 bottom portions of them, and the hay is hauled to the mow during 

 the day. It thus requires two days from cutting to hauling. The 

 hay is scattered evenly in the mow so that it may all settle alike and 

 exclude as much air as possible, and is salted at the rate of 10 pounds 

 per ton. At night the barn is tightly closed to keep out damp air. 



Hay Caps. When the price of hay is high, it is quite probable 

 that hay caps can be used profitably in making hay west of the Cas- 

 cade Mountains. The use of caps would prevent the outside of the 

 cocks from becoming too dry, and would thus add to the total weight 

 of cured hay. The quality of the hay would be greatly improved, 

 for it would be practically uniform throughout. The use of caps 

 would also greatly increase the certainty of saving the crop. A 

 farmer in Georgia has used hay caps for ten years. He thinks they 

 materially increase both the quality and the quantity of his hay. 

 (Oregon Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 91.) 



Meadow Fescue Hay. Seed production has so overshadowed all 

 other interests in meadow fescue growing that only a small quantity 

 of hay is put on the market, very little of the grass being cut at the 

 right stage of growth to make prime hay. For this reason there is 

 no established price for the hay in cities. Several stockmen who are 

 growing meadow fescue for hay exclusively claim that although the 

 hay is somewhat stemmy and inclined to be slightly laxative, it is an 

 excellent fat producer, and when mixed with timothy and clover im- 

 proves the value of these as hay for general feeding purposes. 



A crop of hay is sometimes cut after the seed harvest, but this 

 is possible only when the harvest is followed by rains and the meadow 

 is young and vigorous. A crop of this kind is largely leaves, and if 

 mixed with clover makes a splendid feed, fully equal to timothy 

 and clover for most animals. It can hardly be recommended for 

 driving horses, however, on account of its laxative effect. Meadow 

 fescue nay is almost as palatable as timothy, and chemical analyses 

 indicate that its nutritive value is even higher. When used exclusively 

 as a hay crop it is cut just as it is coming into bloom, about June 20 

 to 25. The yield is usually 1 to 1V 2 tons per acre, which, however, 

 can be increased to 2 and even 3 tons by the application of barnyard 



