1871. 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



307 



ditch to lead the water from the main stream 

 — itself a mountain torrent rushing down its 

 rocky bed in the bottom of a deep valley or 

 gulch. 



The head, or dam, built up of boulders 

 and stopped with rubbish, is often swept away 

 by freshets and must be rebuilt before any 

 more water can be had. This water course 

 is led along the upper side of the field — all 

 the land descends from the centre of the 

 island — small branches are led from it at in- 

 tervals of 40 to 100 feet or more across the 

 fields in a descending direction, and from 

 there again the water is led into shallow 

 trenches which lie nearly on a level across the 

 "lands," usually from four to six or eight 

 feet apart into which the whole field is di- 

 vided. 



Note. — The above illuslration of a plan for irriga- 

 tion somewhat different from that described by our 

 correspondent, is adapted to very steep declivities, 

 which are liable to being washed, and where it would 

 be dangerous to run branches down the hill at intervals 

 of forty to one hundred feet distant, and take the water 

 from them. Here the snpply drain c is led along the 

 declivity preserving only a slight fall. Very small out- 

 lets are made at but little distance apart, and the waste 

 water is collected and again distributed, by the lower 

 drains e, i, m. The uneven surface of the declivity is 

 indicated by o. — Ed. 



In these trenches or on their sides, the cane 

 is planted at various distances in the row — 

 usually from one to three feet apart. The 

 trenches are filled with water by opening and 

 shutting them in succession with a sod or 

 earth. The water is very soon absorbed by 

 the earth and soaks under the ridges between 

 the rows ; but not coming to the surface of 

 the ridges or banks, the weeds do not start 

 there and the labor of weeding is materially 

 abridged during the dry season, which is 

 about eight months in the year. One hand 

 will water well from one to three acres a day. 



Young cane is watered about once a week, 

 but after it is well established and will bear a 

 more copious application, once in two weeks 

 is sufficient. In the winter it is not often 

 necessary to water at all. 



There is one difl&culty in watering some 

 soils, viz : it causes them to become compact 

 and impervious to the air, and so checks veg- 

 etation. Frequent stirring of the surface is 

 necessary to prevent this, even though weeding 

 may not be necessary. Long continued run- 



ning of the water in one place is not admissi- 

 ble — unless a very small stream is allowed to 

 trickle through a desperately dry spot for 

 twelve hours or so. 



Of the cultivation of Kalo — the great staple 

 food of the Hawaiian race, and other plants 

 peculiar to tropical culture, I will not now 

 speak as I have already drawn this communi- 

 cation out too long. Yours truly, 



Edward Bailey. 



For the Neic Eiigland Fa7-mer. 



TIME FOB CUTTING AND CURING 

 HAY. 



On looking over the articles published in the 

 Fakmek during the past year on this subject, 

 I was struck (as 1 think others must have 

 been) with the diversity of views and practices 

 reported and recommended. These views and 

 practices are very conflicting. It would seem 

 as if ihe true method of curing hay was as far 

 from being demonstrated as ever. Some are 

 even now affirming that grass should be fully 

 ripe, or the seed formed, before being cut 

 for hay ; others would cut when in full bloom, 

 and others affirm that it should be cut even 

 previous to blooming, if we would secure the 

 greatest value of the hay crop. 



None the less varied are the methods con- 

 tended for or condemned in curing hay. One 

 cuts when the grass is free from wet, wilts a 

 liftlc and mows away in a tight barn, and has 

 excellent hay ; another says he tried that 

 method and lost his hay, it was worthless. 

 Another mows in the afternoon, turns next 

 day when the dew is off and gets it in during 

 the afternoon. Another correspondent cannot 

 carry out such a programme ; it requires too 

 too much help. Another thinks there is no 

 real loss in exposing hay to the sun two or 

 three da}'s, while others are emphatic as to 

 there being great loss from such sunning, and 

 recommends its being put into cock when dry, 

 kept a day or two, then opened and sunned 

 j)revious to housing. We might go on multi- 

 plying diverse theories and practices, and have 

 to come back at last to the question. When 

 is the best time to cut grass, and what the 

 proper method of curing it ? 



Let us look at what we may suppose to be 

 some of the reasons why such diverse views 

 prevail, and such diverging results are re- 

 corded. 



Now as to the proper time for cutting grass 

 for hay. The most careful experiments both 

 in our country and in Europe seem to have 

 demonstrated the fact, so far as evidence can 

 demonstrate anything of this character, that 

 grass cut when dry and in full bloom is, all 

 things considered, in the best possible condi- 

 tion to make the best and most profitable hay. 

 Circumstances may vary this general rule in 

 an appreciable degree, but a doubt still lingers 

 whether the variation contended for is really 



