186? 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMER. 



204 



Frnm the American Agriculturist. 

 Haying Time. 



In the present month begins the great hay har- 

 vest. This is, in many respects, the most impor- 

 tant in the whole year. Although the crop 

 does not fill the space in the public eye, as an ar- 

 ticle of foreign commerce, which cotton does, it 

 is yet of greater money value. Think of its 

 fundamental use, tht- support of all kinds of farm 

 Etock for six or seven months of the whole year. 

 As one says : "It is, in fact, the basis of all our 

 farm operations, the keystone which sustains them 

 and gives them all iheir success. The test of a 

 farm is the number of cattle it feeds, and the 

 cattle in turn feed the soil." Let us, then, see 

 to it that our crop is this year well and seasona- 

 bly made and properly stored. 



In preparing for this annual campaign, be sure 

 that all other pressing labor is out of the way. 

 This work is enough of |jtself to occupy one's 

 time and thoughts while it lasts; to have other 

 cares superadded harrasses and perplexes one so 

 much as to make his true and proper work very 

 disagreeable. Get all other matters well ahead 

 so as to feel at ease about them. Then see that 

 the tools and implements are in good order — 

 scythes, grindstones, mowing machines, hand 

 rakes, pitch forks, racks, and hay caps. The ex 

 tra hired help — is that engaged ? — enough of it? 

 — and of such a sort as to be reliable ? 



The best time to cut hay, is an important mat- 

 ter to determine The end sought in gathering 

 hay is, obviously, to cut it when it contains its 

 most nutrative properties, viz: muscilage, starch, 

 gluten and sugar, in the best state for their pres- 

 ervation. Experience shows that that period is 

 when the grass is in full flower. After this time 

 the fibre becomes woody and indigestible. The 

 Cyclopaedia of Agriculture says : — "It has been 

 proved that plants of nearly all sorts, if cut 

 when in full vigor, afterwards carefully dried 

 without any waste of their nutritive juices, con 

 tain nearly double the quantity of nourishing 

 matter which they do when they are allowed to 

 attain the r full growth, and make some progress 

 towards decay." Yet, some good farmers hold 

 that timothy should not be cut until it passes 

 this stagi , and has nearly ripened its seed ; and 

 this chiefly for the reason that, if cut earlier, the 

 roots are weakened and the meadows gradually 

 destroyed. Still, as a general rule, the preva- 

 lent method of cutting gras3 "when in the milk" 

 is the right one 



When hay is to be cut wiih scythes, the work 

 should begin early in the day ; the morning dew 

 is a great help to the mower. There should be a 

 liberal resting time at mid day, and then the 

 work resumed and carried on briskly until even- 

 ing. A lunch of plain food, moistened with cold 

 coffee or home brewed beer, may be brought into 

 the meadow in the mi idle of each forenoon and 

 afternoon, if the hanls will be discontented with- 

 out it, but it is poor pol cy to keep the hands and 

 the stomach both at work all the time, and three 

 good meals are b^'St roi any man, however hard 

 his work. There is enough heat in haying time 

 without, the addition of "fire-water." As to the 

 expediency of using lu owing machines, we de- 



clare decidedly in their favor, especially on farms 

 of considerable extent. They pave time, labor, 

 a great deal of anxiety, and, in the long run, 

 money. When the mowing machine is used, do 

 not cut a rod before the dew is ofl', for when the 

 hay is cut by the machine, unless very heavy, it 

 will need no stirring. 



"Make hay while the sun shines," is a good 

 rule, but it may be carried too far in haying 

 time. We want the bright sunshine first to wilt 

 the hay thoroughly ; then let the drying process 

 stop. Rake up the grass in high cocks while 

 still hot. If rain threatens, put on the hay caps; 

 put them on by four o'clock to keep off heavy 

 dews. The grass may lie in cocks two days or 

 less, ae convenient for the farmer. On a clear 

 day, open the cocks about the middle of the fore- 

 noon, after the ground is warm, for an airing, 

 spreading the hay and turning o^ce or twice for 

 two or three hours ; then haul to the baru. The 

 practice of salting hay at the time of storing it, 

 is quite common, and it is applied the more 

 abundantly when the bay is imperfectly cured. 

 A little salt, say two or three quarts to the ton, 

 can wisely be applied. More than this does lit- 

 tle good, and on the whole may be injurious. 



Farmees Should Raise Mtttton Sheep. — A 

 writer in the St. Albans (Vt.) Messenger, signing 

 himself E. R. T., of East Franklin, strongly 

 recommends farmers to give more attention to 

 raising long-wooled or mutton sheep. With them 

 he says, "much less labor is required to realize 

 the same amount of money, than with either 

 cows, horses, or young cattle. The long-wooled 

 or mutton variety, which are, perhars, the best 

 adapted of any kind :o our soil and climate, are 

 very hardy and easily kept. They are not lia- 

 ble to disease, or at least have not been so in this 

 vicinity, so there is but little risk to be feared in 

 this respect. They are evidently the kind for 

 the times, when both mutton and the coarser va- 

 riety of wool are in demand. T^iere is little 

 trouble in raising the lambs, for they are as har- 

 dy as calves, and it is nothing uncommon to see 

 them outnumber the flock — indeed, one man in 

 this place, the last season, raised eighteen from 

 nine ewes. Lambs five or six months old are fit 

 for market, which is not the case with any other 

 kind of stock, hence the expense of wintering is 

 avoided. The past few years, when beef has 

 been dull and hard to be disposed of, muiton has 

 been in good demand at profitable prices. Ow- 

 ing to the war, this demand is steadily increas- 

 ing, and in consequence, there is a large call for 

 store sheep at a high figure, in anticipation of 

 future requirements. Mutton will undoubtedly 

 continue in fair demand, as there seems to be a 

 growing inclination for this meat, in preference 

 to beef or pork — while so long as cotton goods 

 maintain their present high prices, with still an 

 upward tendency, there will be a favorable in- 

 ducement, not to say necessity, for employing 

 w >ol, 80 far as possible, for all fabrics for use or 

 wear." 



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Our life should show forth our love. 



