THIRTY TEAES' EXPERIENCE. 333 



But, if the grass is very heavy, I put it into cocks over 

 night. I consider it made as soon as dry enough not 

 to heat in the mow. To get dryer than this is an injury 

 to the hay." 



One of the most extensive and experienced stock- 

 feeders in New England, a practical farmer, says : " I 

 prefer to cut all English or swale grass from the tenth 

 of June to the first of July, including Timothy and 

 clover at the same time. More than thirty years' expe- 

 rience has convinced me that hay secured in the above 

 time — or just before coming into blossom — will make 

 cows give more and better milk and butter, will put 

 more fat on animals for the slaughter, with four quarts 

 of meal per day, than eight quarts of meal with hay 

 well secured from the first of July to the first of 

 August. That will give the second crop, if you Avish, 

 time to grow, and it may be cut the last week in August, 

 or the first week in September ; there will then be a 

 crop of fall feed, which most farmers prize very highly. 

 If you do not wish a second crop, -the feed, by early 

 mowing, is very valuable. On the other hand, if the 

 grass is cut late, the hay is not only poor, but the feed 

 is mere nothing. Every farmer of my acquaintance 

 admits that the hay cut early is far superior to that cut 

 late, unless it be those that are in the habit of selling 

 hay ; even that class must lose in the weight of their 

 crop by late cutting. Many buyers have not yet learned 

 the difl^erence between early and late cut hay, when the 

 real difference is oftentimes from four to six dollars per 

 ton. Working horses and oxen will keep in better 

 condition with half the grain when fed upon early-cut 

 hay." 



Another writes me as follows : " My method is to cut 

 with the mowing machine, which leaves the grass per- 

 fectly spread. It is turned over between one and two 



