414 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



riety of chemical processes depend upon these 

 chemical rays, — the blackening of indelible ink, 

 all photogx'aphic processes, etc., are familiar ex- 

 amples. 



Plants of all kinds possess certain odors arising 

 from volatile ingredients, usually volatile oils ; 

 these give the peculiar flavor to different kinds of 

 hay to a great extent, and certainly have a very 

 beneficial influence on digestion. Exposed to the 

 action of the sunlight alone these are lost or 

 changed to a great degree. Who would ever 

 think of drying aromatic or sweet herbs a day or 

 two in the sun ? or especially, leaving them to be 

 exposed to dews ? The flavor would be woefully 

 wasted. The good granny who takes care of such 

 things, dries them on the warm attic floor, or on 

 a salver in the sun, covering them with a double 

 thickness of newspaper, and watching them that 

 they do not get too dry b'efore they are bundled 

 up, and laid or hung in a closet of uniform tem- 

 peratui-e, neither moist nor hot. She understands 

 that the exclusion of sunlight and quick drying 

 are both essential to the preservation of flavor in 

 her herbs. 



We can hardly set too high a value on flavor in 

 hay. The relish with which food is eaten is con- 

 nected directly with the ease of digestion. Musty 

 bread is just as nutritious as any, as regards its 

 chemical constituents, but it is not so good food. 

 So really relishable food is much better and goes 

 further with man or beast than that which does 

 not relish, be it of positively bad or of no good 

 flavor. Admitting that this is the only evil of 

 sunlight, viz., to deprive the hay of a portion of 

 its aroma, this is enough to lead us to expose it 

 as little as possible to the sim. But how much 

 the sunlight aids in the formation of hard, woody 

 fibre from the soft cellulose or from the fluids of 

 the hay, we do not know, though it is not improb- 

 able that it does so. 



Very slow, continuous drying, or drying under 

 such circumstances as not to induce fermentation, 

 allows changes to take place which result from vi- 

 tal action ; thus the hardening and formation of 

 the woody fibre almost inevitably occurs, reduc- 

 ing the soluble cellulose, the starch, sugar or gum, 

 in like degree. 



The whole aim of the plant is to mature seed 

 and store in its roots food to give it a good start 

 in the spring, or protect it against the accidents 

 of close browsing, etc. ; so when cut the little re- 

 maining vitality is directed to the seed, and in 

 connection with its ripening, the increase of woody 

 fibre in the stem inevitably occurs. AVe argue, 

 therefore, that quick drying is desirable ; but if 

 this is impossil)le, fermentation, (heating in the 

 cock) sufficient to destroy vitality, though not suf- 

 ficient to cause essential changes in the substance 

 of the hay should be secured. 



We are now prepared to discuss the questions 

 proposed by our correspondent ; and must do so 

 most briefly. 



(1.) Well cured hay is injured by dew, because 

 it is moisture alone of the conditions necessary to 

 fermentation that is wanting in well cured hay, 

 and when this is supplied by the dew it recom- 

 mences injuriously. (2.) Grass only wilted is 

 still possessed of vitality, and is not as much dam- 

 aged by dew, if it be really damaged at all. (3.) 

 And so grass cut with the dew on is not injured 

 by the dew ; but if the drying is essentially inter- 



fered with, and the exposure to the sun necessari- 

 ly increased, it is an evil, to be considered, but 

 probably of no great moment, except as it makes 

 more work. (4.) We have already given our 

 views in regard to the loss of flavor caused by the 

 sunlight, and Avould answer //e.? to the fourth ques- 

 tion. (5.) The fifth question we cannot answer ; 

 and (6.) We have no doubt different kinds of 

 grass made into hay and in the same mow contain , 

 different percentages of water. — Homestead. 



For the New Ungland Farmer. 



LINES, 



On finding a Dead I'oMn? Bird in the Corn-field, tchUe Hoeing 

 June 9th, 1860. 



BY THB PEASANT BARD. 



Poor little bird ! 'tis sad to see 

 Thee lying here so sorrily, 

 Lost from thy native sheltering tree, 



And leaf-roofed nest. 

 Beside this hill of corn shall be 



Thy noteless rest. 



Did wanton school-boy hurl the stone ? 

 Or murderous villain aim the gun ? 

 Or, yester evening, when the sun 



.Sank down the hill, 

 Did the cold rain-rills round thee run, 



To drench and chill ? 



Now, bright around thee pours the day j 

 The springing corn-blades waving play, 

 And all thy sportive mates are gay 



With tuneful breath. 

 O, do they know that here you lay, 



Songless in death } 



'Tis thus with selfish man, I know : 

 He sees a fellow mortal go. 

 And, saving when he feels the blow 



Strike home and near. 

 He little heeds the sufferer's woe. 



The mourner's tear. 



Ah, me ! I'd once a birdie sweet. 

 Whose days, like thine, were winged and fleet f 

 The angels came ; her little feet 



Had weary grown. 

 And with them to the blest retreat. 



Long since, she's flown ! 



Theory of Curing Hay. — We copy witli much 

 pleasure from "The Ho7nestead" of July 26, an ar- 

 ticle upon the subject of curing hay, a business 

 which, in our opinion, is still imperfectly under- 

 stood. We ask for it a careful perusal, and es- 

 pecially so by our haymaking friends of the 

 "Hingham Agricultural Society," whose intelli- 

 gent investigations on this and kindred points 

 are worthy of all commendation. 



An Excellent Use for Dogs. — An exchange 

 says the most profitable use that nine-tenths of 

 all the dogs in this country could be applied to, 

 is to mix about five dogs with a ban-el of lime and 

 ten cartloads of muck in a compost heap. A bar- 

 rel of wood ashes may be added to help the de- 

 composition of the bones. We believe that a dress- 

 ing of this compost, applied to sheep pastures, 

 would greatly enhance the production of woqL 



