WHEN TO CUT GRASS. 211 



like grass in its perfect state ; and this we can do when the grass 

 has attained its growth, and before the starch, sugar and gluten 

 of the plant have gone to the formation of seed or been con- 

 verted into woody fibre. The starch and other nutritious com- 

 pounds are on the increase so long as the plant grows ; but with 

 blossoming, growth ceases, and now is the time, with the least 

 labor, to secure the greatest amount of forage in its best condi- 

 tion. Our mothers, when they sent us out to gather pennyroyal 

 and boneset, witli the extract of which they expected to make 

 good herb tea, always instructed us to select the herbs in full 

 bloom. They may not have understood the chemistry of plants, 

 but they knew from trial that these herbs while in blossom made 

 the strongest decoctions, and that this was the time to dry them 

 for future use. Miserable herb drink would boneset make if 

 left in the field till the stalks and leaves were dry and the sub- 

 stance of the plant transformed into seed. Now dried grass is 

 not unlike dry herbs ; and a good test of the quality of hay is 

 found in making a decoction from it, and whoever tries it will 

 find that hay cut while the grass was in blossom makes the 

 strongest extract. Just so the hop-grower is always careful to 

 pick his hops, not in the old of the moon in August, as the rule 

 of superstition has it, but when the hops are in full bloom and 

 the pollen of the flowers most abundant, for, picked at this time, 

 they make the strongest ale. We do not desire to make ale 

 from our hay, but we do desire to preserve all the aroma of the 

 flowers and all the stimulus that green hay gives to the animal 

 system. We have heard it said that Timothy cut when in blos- 

 som is apt to be dusty. We doubt very much the truth of this. 

 The idea probably originates from the pollen of the blossoms 

 being scattered at the time of harvest, giving the appearance of 

 dust ; but from such dust we should apprehend no evil to cattle 

 or horses. 



A third suggestion for the improvement of our hay crop is 

 the mode of curing and storing it. We have already suggested 

 that hay is analogous to dry herbs, and that hay is best from 

 which the strongest decoction can be made. Here, too, we can 

 learn a lesson from the manner in which our mothers cured 

 and preserved their herbs, and the Chinese their tea. If we 

 remember our mother's custom rightly, it was not to put the 

 herbs in the open air, exposed to sun and winds till they were 



