1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



301 



other substance, and by continual accretion thus 

 build up a little world of matter. This as soon 

 as the aqueous fluid disajipear? becomes dry land or 

 earth, and afterwards undergoes various igneous 

 changes. How this matter originated is another 

 thing a long way antecedent to its formation into 

 existing shapes. Many of the ancients held it to 

 be eternal ; but the first verse of Genesis settles 

 that matter, and informs us that it was God who 

 created it. This probably is tlie sum of all we 

 shall ever know upon the subject. — Maine Farmer. 



HAY AND HAY-MAKING. 



Dr. Holmes, of the Maine Farmer, very truly 

 remarks in relation to this subject, that 



"The grass crop is one of the most important, 

 if not Me most important of all to the farmer, and 

 the making or curing the grass is an operation 

 upon wliich turns, after all, much of the value of 

 the crop. A short growth, if Avell prepared, is 

 more valuable than an abundant one spoiled by 

 an improper management in making." 



The hay crop may well bo considered as one of 

 great importance to the agriculturist, being one 

 of the principal products of the farm, and the one 

 on which he relies for the sustenance of his live 

 stock during winter, and a considerable portion 

 of the fall and spring. 



Yet while all concur in regarding this crop as 

 of prime consequence, there are but very few, 

 comparatively speaking, who adopt the same 

 modes of cutting and preserving it. We know, 

 indeed, of no subject embraced in the routine of 

 agricultural engrossments, on which there is ex- 

 tant a greater discrejianey of opinion and prac- 

 tice. It is important that some general system 

 should be adopted as well in the management of 

 this crop as in that of grain, at least so far as re- 

 gards the time and manner of cutting and secur- 

 ing the product. A late writer, in some judicious 

 reflections upon the importance of tliis crop, and 

 the modes of curing it says : — "That mode which 

 will secure as much of the natural juices as possi- 

 ble, and in the cheapest practicable manner, is 

 tlie one I have endeavored to attain. Counting 

 nothing for board and team, wo do not pay ou.t 

 ,<;1,00 per acre for cutting and securing our hay, 

 at an average of one and a half tons per acre. In 

 this section of the country the lands are princi- 

 pally of clay, and are quite free from stones. AVe 

 lose ten times more out of hay by cutting too 

 late than too early. Many let their clover and 

 lierds-grass stand till the seeds are ripe, and of 

 consequence the stems become hard and Aviry ; a 

 good share of the leaves have changed to a brown- 

 ish state, and the natural sap has left the plant." 



In cutting most, perhaps all kinds of grass, we 

 think that the proper period is that, when the 

 whole system having attained its maximum devel- 

 opment, the flowers have unfolded, and when 

 there is a largo flow of rich and saccharine juice 

 in the stalks and leaves. Some species of grass, it 



is true, increase somewhat in bulk after infloree- 

 ccnce, but with the majority of plants used for 

 hay, the development of the flower indicates, with 

 sufficient accuracy, the attainment of their maxi- 

 mum excellence, and the time when they may 

 perhaps be most economically cut. The article 

 above quoted says : — 



"To get at the most proper time for cutting, let 

 us inquire what rule the gatherer of herbs adopts 

 in filling his medicine chest, or the distiller his 

 plants. In collecting herbs and plants, they cut 

 them as soon as they come into flower. At this 

 period they contain all their useful qualities, and 

 by cutting at this period they secure the greatest 

 quantity of oil ; but herbs that are cut at this pe- 

 riod and dried in the sun, lose much more of their 

 invigorating and essential qualities than they do 

 if dried in the shade. Plants of all sorts, if tjiey 

 are cut in full vigor, and afterward carefully dried , 

 without any waste of their natural juices, either 

 by bleaching with rain or evaporating in the sun, 

 contain a quantity of nourishing matter nearly 

 double what they do when allowed to attain their 

 full growth and make some progress toward de- 

 cay. When mowing is delayed, as it very frequent- 

 ly is, till an advanced period of the season, when 

 plants have not only reached their ultimate 

 growth, but begin to decay, this description of 

 herbage must become tasteless, dry, tough, and 

 less nourishing. Also over care in drying in the 

 hot sun, by bleaching the juices of tlie early 

 grasses, must produce a similar kind of fodder." 



In curing clover hay, tlie principal value of 

 which consists in the heads and fuli.igo, we have 

 observed, that when cut early and crod in "gra.s3 

 cock," as it is called, the hay p>>:es33d a much 

 more brilliant and l^eautiful appearance than the 

 same quality of grass, cut at the same time, and 

 cured in the open air, or under a free exposure of- 

 ten for a protracted period to the sun. By cut- 

 ting this grass when the crop is in full blossom , 

 allowing it to remain in the swath the first day 

 after mowing, till nearly night, and then turning 

 it carefully with a fork so as to expose a fresh and 

 unwilted surface to the night dews, and cocking it 

 in the afternoon of the second day, in small com- 

 pact cocks, of about eighty pounds unmade hay, 

 to the cock, it Avill make evenly and tlioroughly, 

 and may be pitched and oven trodden down in 

 mow without being dcj^rivod of its heads or finer 

 leaves. The color will be a most beautiful green, 

 and the flowers will be almost as fresh in color 

 as when cut. After cocking, let the weather bo 

 fair or foul, no opening or tui-ning, (unless in case 

 of a protracted storm) of the "grass cocks" 

 should be allowed. It is unnecessary, as tlie hay 

 will "ciW-e" completely through, and the outside, 

 wlien saturated with water, will soon dry off, 

 and eflect no Imrm whatever to the liay. You 

 will never see mouldy hay, if this method is adop- 

 ted, in "making" or curing it. In forming grass 

 cocks, tlie fork is preferable to the rake, which is 

 of service only in gathering up the scatterings^ 

 and regulating the size and shape of the cocks. 



