226 



XEAV EXGLAXD FARMER. 



JCLY 



bushels of potatoes per day. (A mistake of mine 

 or of the printer.) 



The oat straw was harvested green enough to 

 make it good, which is a very important fact. No 

 hay was given to them while fed as above. 



My principal reason for feeding potatoes is, that 

 I had rather raise 500 bushels of "Californias" 

 than the same amount of bagas, because I can 

 raise them without manure, by planting on mow- 

 ing land, ploughed up when it needs it. In this 

 way I get about 150 bushels per acre. They grow 

 so "large that they are dug and picked up rapidly. 

 My man and boy ten years old, dig and put into 

 the cellar fifty bushels per day. And I tliink a 

 bushel of potatoes contains much more nutriment 

 than a bushel of rutabagas. 



I am very much interested in the "Retrospective 

 Notes," and hope they will be continued. 



W.D. Baxter. 



Xoiih Thetford, Vt, June, 1S63. 



fcr the Sezr England Farmer. 



HAKVTSSTTNG OTJB CHOPS. 



An Essay read before the Coitcord Farmers^ Club, by J. B. 

 Faemzr, on Harvesting and storing Grain, Hay, and the Root 

 crops, including Potatoes. 



Of the grains, Indian corn stands at the head 

 in Middlesex county. In this locality, as a gen- 

 eral rule, the best method of harvesting corn, is 

 to cut the stalks when the tassel gets seared, as 

 our fathers practiced ; but circumstances some- 

 times require a different mode of harvesting. I 

 well remember that in 1836 or 37, I had a field of 

 corn that was backward ; the season was cold, and 

 there was every sign of a frost. I concluded to 

 cut it up at the roots and stack it, and three of us : 

 set about it, but the day was too short to get the 

 whole field done. We left nearly an acre, and the 

 result was, that I had over one hundred bushels 

 of good, sweet corn on that part of the field where 

 we cut and stacked it, but on the part of the field ; 

 that we had not time to cut, there was not one ear ; 

 that was fit to grind. We had a severe frost that j 

 night, as I anticipated, and it destroyed all that j 

 was left standing. 



Again, we may wish to sow a field with winter 

 grain, and if we cut the corn up at the roots and 

 take it ofl" of the field, it gives us a chance to get 

 the grain in earlier. We too often sow winter j 

 grain so late, that it is injured by the winter frosts, j 

 The difference in labor of harvesting, and the j 

 value of the fodder is but trifling, therefore we 

 mav be governed by circumstances. 



I have a few words to say in relation to sorting 

 corn when harvesting. Some people think it is 

 almost wicked, or at least wasteful, to put a large . 

 ear into the hog corn, even if it is damp, or green. I 

 This is a mistaken idea ; the probabilty is, that j 

 the large, damp ear, will injure as much more, re- 

 ducing it one-half in value, and being worth but ' 

 half price itself. It is a self-evident fact, that the 

 owner would have been as well off if he had 

 thrown his big, damp ear away. Good economy i 

 requires us, in harvesting corn, to select all damp , 

 ears, and keep them by themselves, and use them ' 

 first, or spread thin and stir often. In regard to I 

 small, sound ears, they do no injury, but the bin j 

 is improved in looks by taking them out. Of the , 

 •wheat, rye, oats and barley crops I have only to I 

 say that, in my opinion, they are often left stand- 1 

 ing in the field too long for the benefit of the owner. I 



There are three objections against it — the first is, 

 the grain does not yield so much flour per bushel, 

 and it is not of so good quality, when suffered to 

 stand uncut until it is perfectly ripe, as it does, 

 when cut in a hard, pulpy state. The second ob- 

 jection is, the grain shells too much in harvesting, 

 sometimes enough to pay for cutting, and the best 

 of the grain is most likely to scatter, thereby di- 

 minishing the value of what is saved. The third 

 and last objection I shall make, is, that the straw 

 is not worth as much for fodder, or for bedding. 



The best method that I have ti-icd, is to cut the 

 grain when in a hardening but pulpy state, bind 

 the second day, put from ten to twelve sheaves in 

 a shock, without any cap sheaves, but cover the 

 shock with common hay caps, and in a few days 

 of fair weather, it will be in good order for cart- 

 ing ; the hay cap prevents the heads from drying 

 too much, so as to shell out, whilst the sti'aw is 

 curing, or under the process or carting. 



Next in order, as the subject stands, is our hay 

 crop, which may well be considered the crop, (in 

 an agricultural point,) for this locality. I cannot 

 point out the exact time of cutting the grass, or 

 performing some other parts of the operation, as 

 circumstances have so much to do with it, that 

 there cannot be any one prescribed rule applica- 

 ble to all cases. I will confine my remarks, to 

 drying or making the hay. In this process, I think 

 we too often fail ; frequently we see on opening a 

 mow of hay in the winter or spring, as unmistakable 

 signs that the hay was got in too damp, and look- 

 ing more like a fire-fanged pile of horse manure, 

 than it does like a mow of good, sweet hay ; in my 

 o])inion, the loss on the one is as great as it is on 

 the other, and cannot be less than one-half their 

 value. If salt is used in large quantities, enough 

 to preserve green hay, and cattle are kept on it 

 constantly, 1 see not why it is not as injurious to 

 the beast, as over-salted meat is for man, of which 

 we have abundant proofs in long sea voyages. 

 Salt may be used in large quantities on a small 

 proportion of our hay, but not on all. Fire-fanged 

 hay is worth about as much for fodder, (where a 

 man uses a great deal of grain.) as white pine 

 shavings, and but little more. It is better than 

 nothing to distend the entrails, whilst the grain 

 supports We, therefore the value of musty hay is 

 somewhat in accordance with the heat you get on 

 it. If hay is intended for the market, but got in 

 green or damp enough to must, or mould, there 

 will be far more shrinkage in weight than there 

 would have been if the hay had been well cured, 

 beside the less price per hundred that will be ob- 

 tained for it in market. 



Of the root crops, there is greater diversity of 

 opinion in regard to harvesting potatoes than there 

 is in any other root. Some think potatoes are im- 

 proved by letting them remain in the ground as 

 long as it is safe, on account of the frost, whilst 

 others dig as early as .August or September. I cer- 

 tainly can see no good that the tubers can receive 

 from the ground after the vines are dead, but I 

 fancy there is evil in letting them remain in the 

 ground to receive the fall rains. Too much rain 

 makes them boil clammy ; beside, there is more 

 comfort in digging in warm weather than in cold. 

 August may be a little too early for digging, 

 though I have known Chenango potatoes to be 

 dug as early as that, and put in the cellar, and 

 they certainly kept, and were as good for eating 



