34 CLOVERS 



fitness of hay for being stored. When it can be 

 pitched without excessive labor it is ready for being 

 stored, but the unskilled will not likely be able to 

 judge of this accurately. If a wisp is taken some 

 distance from the top of the winrow or cock and 

 twisted between the hands, if moisture exudes it 

 is too damp, and if the hay breaks asunder readily 

 it is too dry. When no moisture is perceptible and 

 yet the wisp does not break asunder, the hay is ready 

 to be drawn. Care must be taken that the wisp 

 chosen be representative of the mass of the hay. To 

 make sure of this, the test should be applied several 

 times. 



Where practicable the aim should be to store clo- 

 ver hay under cover, owing to the little power which 

 it has to shed rain in the stack. This is only necessary, 

 however, in climates with considerable rainfall dur- 

 ing the year and where irrigation is practised, as in 

 the mountain States clover hay may be kept in the 

 stack without any loss from rain, and it can be cured 

 exactly as the ranchman may desire, since he is 

 never embarrassed when making hay by bad 

 weather. When storing clovers, the time of the day 

 at which it is stored influences the keeping qualities 

 of the hay. Hay stored at noontide may keep prop- 

 erly, whereas, if the same were stored while dew is 

 falling it might be too damp for being thus stored. 



Much care should be taken in stacking clover hay 

 that it may shed rain properly. The following 

 should be observed among other rules of less im- 

 portance that may be given: i. Make a foundation 

 of rails, poles or old straw or hay that will prevent 



