306 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



July 



The best farmers have decided that the blos- 

 soming time is the best time to cut the grasses, 

 especially the clover. When grass is ripe, what is 

 it good for? Certainly not for pasture; and will 

 it be better when it is still farther dried and made 

 hard ?"' 



The object should be to save the grass as 

 nearly as possible in this condition. Expose it to 

 the sun and air until it is thoroughly wilted. By 

 that time most of the moisture, which is mere 

 water, has escaped, and the juices, holding in 

 solution the nutritive properties, are retained, 

 and in themselves not spoiling, but keeping the 

 hay soft and pliant. Continued heat will evap- 

 orate these, and rains and dews will soon re- 

 move them and leave a dry, almost worthless 

 stalk. The sun is injurious. It bleaches and 

 evaporates too strongly. The best way is to 

 cure in the shade as much as possible, and that 

 is best done in the cock. Cured in this way, 

 it is fragrant, nutritious, and the greenest of 

 greens. 



At a discussion at the New York State Fair 

 in September, 1865, the general subject was, 

 "Grass — Kinds, Quality, Proper time for Cut- 

 ting, and best method of Curing for Hay." 

 During this discussion, some of the best far- 

 mers in the country gave their opinions, and 

 we believe they all agreed on these two points, 

 viz : that early cut grass makes the best hay, 

 and that it is better dried mainly in the shade. 

 Among the speakers was JMr. J. Stanton 

 Gould, a skilful botanist and an eminently 

 praclical person, who said : — 



"Prof. Way, a distinguished chemist, found that 

 grass mowed just in the flower was the most nutri- 

 tious. When grass is allowed to ripen its seed, the 

 straw is converted into woody fliire, isindigestiljle, 

 and its nutritious value very much lessened. An- 

 imals fed upon hay of grass cut in flower are more 

 thrifty and hearty, and show a sleeker coat than 

 when fed upon hay made fiom grass matured be- 

 fore being cut. When timothy is allowed to ma- 

 ture its seed, its stems are mere dry straw, the su- 

 gar and gura which they contained having turned 

 into woody til)re. The seeds do not open in the 

 animal, l)ut are passed off. The best way to make 

 hay is to cut grass when the dew is off, and allow 

 it to wilt, which, in a hot sun, requires four hours ; 

 then, towards evening, rake and cock, and next 

 da}', if the weather is tiae, open, dry, and haul into 

 the barn." 



Mr. Van Alstyne said be cut 100 to 125 

 acres annually. 



"I commence mowing in the morning, after the 

 dew is olf ; start the rake after dinner, and get all 

 in cock before 5 o'clock. Get it in the next day, 

 if the weather is favorable. Ripe timothy is no 

 better than barley straw. I make it a rule to cut 

 my grass as early as possible, most of it the first 

 week in July." 



Col. Brewer said he had followed cutting 



grass green since 1822. Cut clover from the 



18th to the 24th of June. Believes the sugar 

 saved by cutting just in the blow is of more 

 nutritive value than four times what it would 

 be if left to mature the seed. 



Mr. Dederick preferred to cut early, and 

 if all the crop could not be cut at the right 

 time, thinks it better to cut when a little too 

 green than when too ripe. When grass is cut 

 early "it is better for the fields." 



Similar opinions were expressed by all who 

 took pari in the discussion, except by some 

 who preferred riper hay for horses. 



In curing hay, it is very important that it 

 should not be wet by showers, nor exposed to 

 dews, while In the process of curing. They 

 dissolve and wash out the soluble constituents 

 of the grass. The sugar and the soluble salts 

 are removed in this way, and the hay is thus 

 made to approximate to the insipid and innu- 

 trltlous condition of woody fibre. It has been 

 rendered less palatable and less digestible. 

 Beasts will not, therefore, eat it with the same 

 avidity as if it had been properly saved ; and 

 even if they did, it could not afford the same 

 nourishment. A little care in this matter, 

 during the hay harvest, will fill the barns with 

 sweet and nutritious hay. 



HOEING AND HAYING. 



Conditions of soil and weather that are fa- 

 vorable to the growth of crops, are also fa- 

 vorable to the growth of weeds, and unless 

 special and constant pains are taken to eradi- 

 cate the weeds, they will overtop and choke 

 the crop. Such seems to be the order of Pro- 

 vidence. The virtues and vices spring up and 

 grow together, and unless special culture is 

 directed to the suppression of the latter, the 

 former will ) ield but little if any fruit. 



As in moral so in physical culture, a large 

 portion of the time and strength of the culti- 

 vator must be employed in removing that 

 which wouli] injur-: the growth of the valuable 

 or ornamental products which he is striving to 

 develop. The very culture which will give 

 strength and vigor to the plant, will give vigor 

 and strength to the weeds, if suffered to stand 

 by its side. 



In the early part of the season, while the 

 plants are small, and before other work be- 

 comes urgent, we generally keep our grounds 

 clean, and we seem to^suppose that the weeds 

 are effectually subdued. But as children. 



