354 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



Aug. 



will ever manifest the spirit which dictated the 

 notice copied from the Congregationalist. 

 That "the poor farmer and his boy may not 

 die 'unwept, unhonored and unsung,' " let us, 

 instead of charging "ten cents a line," offer to 

 pay that sum, "except in case of persons of 

 public note." 



CUTTIWQ AND CDBINQ CLOVEB. 



Few persons, comparatively, are aware \j 

 the value of clover for farm stock, over any 

 of the grasses which are now cultivated. A 

 fair investigation of the matter would result in 

 covering thousands of acres in New England 

 with clo . er, instead of timothy, red-top, and 

 other grasses. We invite this investigation by 

 all our readers. If they make it, many of them 

 will be convinced that there is no other way of 

 so rapidly and permanently enriching their 

 farms and themselves, as by the introduction 

 of clover. Not now, but in a future paper, 

 we will lay some facts before them on this 

 point. At present we wish to say something 

 upon the manner of cutting and curing clover, 

 believing that the principal reason why it is 

 not more generally cultivated among us, is in 

 the difficulty of curing it for winter use. The 

 mode which we have practiced is as follows : — 



Cut the clover when it is dry, and as close 

 to the ground as possible. This should be 

 done for two reasons : 1. Because the portion 

 of the stems which are left are lost, and sec- 

 ondly, because the after-growth is neither so 

 vigorous nor so weighty, as when the first cut- 

 ting is taken as low as possible. 



Let the clover lay as it falls until the sur- 

 face is thoroughly wilted above, then carefully 

 turn It over without breaking it. This is usu- 

 ally best done with a fork. If the weather is 

 favorable, it will be sufficiently wilted to put 

 into cocks in the afternoon, and should be 

 done while the hay is warm. If the clover 

 was cut by hand, take it up carefully with a 

 fork and make a row of cocks on the middle 

 one of three swaths. If cut by a machine, and 

 the crop Is light, it may require the use of a 

 rake to collect It ; if heavy, the fork will be 

 best. The hay should be built into compact, 

 conical cocks, by placing layer after layer, and 

 not scattering, shaking out or exposing it any 

 more than is absolutely necessary. If caps 

 are not used upon the cocks, they should be 

 trimmed with care, and so formed as to carry 



off as much of the rain as possible, should the 

 weather be unfavorable. 



These cocks may remain untouched for two 

 nights, or even three, as the principal process 

 of curing is carried on while the grass is in 

 this condition. They should be opened when 

 there is a good prospect of fair weather. 

 When this is the case, open the cocks as soon 

 as the dew is off, and turn the hay over gently, 

 so that It will lay from six to eight inches 

 thick. At half past tei or eleven o'clock, 

 turn the whole upside down, and at one 

 o'clock commence taking it to the bam. 



Nearly every leaf will be preserved by this 

 process ; injury from dew and rain will be in a 

 great measure avoided ; the stalks will be bet- 

 ter dried, and the appearance and value of 

 the forage retained in their highest perfection. 



Use caps if possible. It is highly economi- 

 cal to do so. They can be placed upon the 

 cocks in less time than the cocks can be suffi- 

 ciently trimmed to shed even a portion of the 

 rain, and the process of curing goes on faster 

 under them than when the cocks are bare. 

 Besides this, they prevent the sun and dew 

 from acting upon the grass. An intense sun 

 is almost as hurtful to clover as rain ; and, 

 therefore, it should not be shaken out, spread 

 or exposed, oftener than is necessary for its 

 preservation. The more the swath is kept un- 

 broken, the more green and fragrant will be 

 the hay. 



When clover is cured in the old way, by 

 spreading, the leaves and blossoms are dry long 

 before the stems are cured, — and when the 

 hay is unloaded at the barn bushels of the 

 former are left upon the wagon, or scattered 

 upon the barn floor, while little but the dry 

 stems have been pitched upon the scaffolds. 



If cured In the cock, all parts of the plant 

 dry alike, the moisture in the mass is equal- 

 ized, and when gathered to the barn, there 

 will scarci'ly be a leaf lost, while the stalks 

 will be amply cured. A slight fermentation 

 often takes place in the cocks, which. Instead 

 of doing injury, is a benefit, as it prevents the 

 hay from afterwards heating In the mow or 

 scaffolds. The secret of making good hay, 

 says Low, is to prepare it as quickly as possi- 

 ble, and with as little exposure to the weather, 

 and as little waste of the natural juices as 

 circumstances will allow. Then the hay will 

 be sweet, fragrant, and of a greenish color. 



