298 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



GRASS IS PROPERLY CURED. 



The object in making good hay, says Low, is to 

 prepare it as quickly as possible, and with as little 

 exposure to the weather, and as little waste of the 

 natural juices, as circumstances will allow. When 

 we are enabled to do this the hay will be sweet, 

 fragrant, and of a greenish color. We still do 

 much of our farm work under the EngHsh notions 

 which came here with our ancestors, without taking 

 into account the great difference in the climate of 

 the two countries. There, they employ four days 

 in curing the herd's grass, which is often admirably 

 done under our July suns in a single day ! Many 

 farmers do not consider the effect of these cloud- 

 less suns, and the consequence is that they dry their 

 hay until its jucies are evaporated, and a large pro- 

 portion of its value lost. One cloudless July day, 

 with a slight breeze, is sufficient to cure hay cut in 

 the morning or the pre\ious evening, where there 

 is not more than thirty hundred to the acre. Li 

 such a case the swaths should be evenly spread, 

 and it will be necessary to stir it quite often, and 

 lay it up as lightly as possible from the ground. 



A general rule should be enforced that no hay 

 be left in swath or winrow over night, unless it be 

 that cut just before or after sundown. There are 

 two advantages in its being cocked : it prevents the 

 injurious effects of dew or rain, while the slight 

 heating process -which is going on causes an exha- 

 lation which is retained in the cock, and gives the 

 hay a most fragrant odor. In good tveather, two 

 days, at most, are sufficient to secure hay, even 

 when heavy crops are cut. The cocks should not 

 be opened on the second day until the dew has 

 gone, and then only opened in thick masses. After 

 lying in this manner until noon they are ready to 

 be carted to the barn. 



Clover requires a veiy different process. It should 

 be cut close to the gi-ound, and allowed to remain 

 imtil the afternoon of a bright day, in the swath ; 

 then they should be carefully turned upside down 

 with a fork, and left over night. After dinner on 

 the following day, the swaths should be taken up 

 with the fork and laid in a cock — not rolled or 

 pushed up — and then these cocks may remain two 

 nights. After that, on a clear morning, they may 

 be turned over to admit the sun and air for a few 

 hours, when they will be ready to go in, with their 

 leaves all on, and as sweet and fragrant as a nose- 

 gay. A load of brush is worth about as much for 

 cattle as a load of clover, ciu-ed as it is often done. 

 Allen, in his "Farm Book," says there is a loss of 

 nutritive matter in the ordinary mode of curing 

 hay, which is obvious to every careful feeder. This 

 is conspicuously evident, in the diminished quantity 

 of milk yielded by cows, when taken from the pas- 

 ture and put upon the hay made from grass simi- 

 lar to that before consumed. There is undoubted- 

 ly a combination of causes to which this may be 



mputed, but the bad condition of the hay is often 

 a prominent one. 



SALTING HAY. 



This is now, we believe, extensively practiced, 

 and, judicious'ly done, we have no doubt it is well. 

 Those who are in the habit of placing salt before 

 cattle, know that during the winter season they will 

 take but little. A cow consuming a ton of hay in 

 the cold months, we are confident would not volun- 

 tarily consume two quarts of salt — and yet many 

 farmers are in the habit of applying eight quarts 

 to a ton ! This is probably the source of many of 

 the recent diseases among cattle. It leads, also, to 

 the slovenly practice of getting in the hay in a 

 damp or partially cured state, under the idea that 

 the salt will preserve all its virtues. 



The whole subject of hay-making needs more 

 consideration. Several things are suggested which 

 must be left for another talk. 



DUCKS IN CHINA. 



It is well-known that a considerable portion of 

 the inhabitants of China dwell in floating houses, or 

 rather in boats, with large and convenient cabins, 

 where men, women and children may be seen in 

 abundance, having no other home, and gaining a 

 slender livelihood by some occupation that does not 

 require a residence on teira Jirma. In the neigh- 

 borhood of Canton, many of the owners of these 

 movable dwellings employ themselves in rearing 

 ducks; and the sagacity which these animals exhibit 

 is remarkable. Every morning they are allowed to 

 leave their habitation, and indulge in their aquatic 

 amusements ; and sometimes five or six hundred of 

 these noisy creatures are seen sporting on the wa- 

 ters near one of these floating duck pens. They 

 never stray far from their homes — and the sound of 

 a Httle tinkling bell seems to produce upon them a 

 magical effect. The moment the first sound of the 

 bell is heard, the ducks hasten towards their home 

 with astonishing swiftness, and the commotion thus 

 instantaneously produced in their rank, is amusing 

 enough, each one being apparently anxious to out- 

 strip his companions in the race — and such a scene 

 of sho\-ing, swimming, flying and gabbling is sel- 

 dom seen among ducks in any other part of the 

 world than in China. This prompt obedience on 

 the part of these stupid water fowl, is the result of 

 education ; and the means used, although exceed- 

 ingly efficient, are very simple. The last duck 

 which reaches the boat is invariably seized by the 

 duck-master-general, and is compelled to undergo 

 a severe drubbing with a bamboo cane — and the 

 fear of this punishment, which they are exceedingly 

 desirous to avoid, ensures the most perfect order 

 and obedience among these animals. 



This mode of managing ducks is somewhat simi- 

 lar to that just and humane expedient resorted to 

 on board of some of the English ships of war, and 

 for aught we know, American also, to induce the 

 men to hasten on deck with all possible despatch, 

 when all hands are called to quarters, or for any 

 other purpose. A boatswain's mate is stationed at 

 the hatchway, and those who happen, through neg- 

 ligence, indolence or accident, to be at the fag end, 

 are sure to get a severe "starting." — Portfolio. 



