336 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



"mouW," or whatever we may call the results 

 of the fermentation. So hay that ferments in 

 the mow till it gives off a sour odor, and af- 

 terwards becomes dry, reveals doubless a 

 similar sour mustiness during the process of 

 mastication. As heated and musty grain is 

 not as healthy or nutritious as that kept dry 

 and sweet, we conclude that the same is true of 

 soured and heated hay. 



If 1 could have my hay made and put into 

 the barn in a perfectly salibfactory manner, I 

 should desire a good hay day, in which the dew 

 would dry off early in the morning, and be- 

 fore it was entirely gone, say half-past seven 

 o''clock, I would start the mowing machine 

 and cut an acre an hour till noon ; then start 

 the hay tedder so as to stir all the grass cut 

 once before noon ; then after dinner, if it 

 seemed desirable, stir with the hay tedder 

 again, but begin to rake with the horse rake 

 before the grass is dry enough to brea i badly ; 

 bearing in mind that the stirring, raking and 

 tumbling should be done tvhile the hay is drying 

 and not after it is so dry that the leaves and 

 heads will break off and be lost. At about 

 three or four o'clock, the hay that 3 ields from 

 one to two tons per acre of timothy, red top 

 and clover will be dry in the hot sun and 

 ready to cart, and a smart gang of hands will, 

 if the barns are conveniently and centrally situ- 

 ated, put the hay under cover. That hay, 

 if dry, v/ill come out in the winter in good 



In a poor hay day, I would mow, shake and 

 rake the same, getting all the moisture out 

 poisible, and if it was half dried and the 

 weather seemed likely to be unfavorable, I 

 would get it in, preferring to risk the damage 

 in the mow rather than the effects of wet- 

 ting. 



The effect of a shower is very bad ; much 

 of the nutriment in grass being very soluble, 

 as is shown by the manner stockmen raise 

 calves occasionally. Put a handful of hay into 

 a pail and pour boiling water upon it ; the wa- 

 ter soon turns of a dark color and is quite a 

 nourishing drink for calves, and takes the 

 place of milk. Thus a shower of rain in a 

 warm day upon hay must wash out much of the 

 soluble matter, and the soluble part is nutri- 

 tious. The dew does not wash the hay, but di- 

 lutes the sugar so that it is likely to tarn to 

 vinegar. Dew, however, does not injure hay 

 until it is wilted. When it wilts it is dead, 

 and unless dried, decomposition commences. 

 If it is necessary to leave in the field partially 

 dried hay free Irom water, it keeps better in 

 cocks covered with hay caps. 



The Fragrance of Hay. 



Some contend that the fragrance or aroma 

 of hay is a valuable quality, and that as thor- 

 ough drying in the sun is supposed to destroy 

 the aroma, therefore it is a d.image. 



Whether there is any valuable nutritious 

 qualit) in the aroma can only be proved by such 



delicate chemical tests as can analyze a vapor. 

 But, when we consider how little fragrance 

 has to do with human food we cannot suppose 

 cattle more discriminating than man is. There 

 are odors offensive to man and beast. Such 

 odors accompany the decomposition and pu- 

 trefaction of animal and vegetable matter and 

 show that (hey are not fit for food. The most 

 nutritious food is almost without otlor, as flax- 

 seed, all grains, whether whole or pulverized, 

 starch, sugar, salt, &c., and the odors of food 

 are often added by fragrant herbs and spices, 

 which ofien render food unhealthy and repul- 

 sive to those not accustomed to them. It is 

 evident thit we naturally desire food without 

 odor, and that it satisfies our appetites, day 

 after day, without causing us feelings of aver- 

 sion. It is so with the cattle. No odor is so 

 offensive to them as that accompanying the 

 decomposition of hay not sufficiently dried in 

 the making. 



Mr. J. B. Fassett, of this town, once cut a 

 lot of grass by the job. One afternoon a 

 quantity was only well wilted when it was time 

 to cock it, either to remain in ihe field or to 

 be put in the barn. The owner said "get it 

 in." It settled very much in the mow, and 

 some of it was sold to the owner of one cow, 

 that soon became sick, and only recovered 

 when fed again on good hay. 



In regard to the efficacy of salt and lime 

 as preservatives of starch, gluten, sugar and 

 woody fibre, there are erroneous ideas. These 

 are all simple substances that keep forever if 

 dry. 



Tons of potato starch are made in northern 

 Vermont, and in its manufacture the desire is 

 to dry it as quickly and thoroughly as possi- 

 ble, and no salt or lime is used to preserve it. 

 Tons of sugar are made, and that which is 

 perfectly dry and stirred off so that it can be 

 carried in barrels or bags is the most valuable. 

 But whether dry or damp, neither salt nor 

 lime are used to preserve it. The concentra- 

 tion that results from a perfect evaporation of 

 water is all that is necessary, and that evapo- 

 ration should be rapid. 



In regard to woody fibre, I am told by me- 

 chanics that wood is best when sawed into 

 boards and dried quickly, and never re-wet ; 

 a statement that was recently corroborated by 

 Mr. W. Bacon in a commimication in the Far- 

 mer on preserving ^imber. A jiile of wet 

 boards, closely packed, will mould and spoil 

 in a few weeks in summer. Therefore it is 

 safe to say that grass, which embraces all these 

 subs'.ances, should be thoroughly dried. And 

 as an evidence of the incorrectness of the say- 

 ing that the goodness of grass can be all dried 

 out of it, I may refer also to other articles 

 of merchandise that are preserved by drying 

 and still retain their strength, such as hops, 

 tea, medicinal herbs, pepper and all kinds of 

 spices. 



The sun has no power to destroy vegetable 

 matter, but is still a safe and reliable assistant 



