282 MANAGEMENT OF m'EADOWS. 



stems, it is impossible to shield the clover from the admis- 

 sion of water. The cocks are examined from day to day as 

 the curing process advances, until the farmer is convinced, 

 from his experience, the hay is well cured. Should no wet 

 weather intervene the hay will be excellent, and will re- 

 main, uninfluenced by heat, in the barn an indefinite length 

 of time. Some farmers provide themselves with split sticks, 

 about the size of pea sticks, three feet long, driving them 

 into the ground, three together, open at the bottom and 

 close at top, in the shape of a tripod, and form the cocks upon 

 them, thus giving them air in the interior. Heating is thus 

 prevented, and the process of curing advances with much 

 greater rapidity, and good hay is soon made. By this plan 

 the hay will be well cured in two days at most, while by 

 the other plan it will require three or four days. How- 

 ever, from the personal experience of the writer, which is 

 considerable, the first plan detailed is the safest and best, 

 and he has never failed to secure good bright nutritious hay. 

 It would seem to many, that it would easily heat, mould 

 and rot from the quantity of water in the stalks and foliage, 

 but, there being a large percentage of sugar in it, it becomes 

 candied and, after this, there is no difficulty in its 

 keeping. 



Should the farmer have a quantity of good clean wheat, 

 oat, or rye straw, it is a very good practice, and a safe one, to 

 throw a layer of it between each load of clover. It will 

 permit the passage of the air and the aroma of the clover 

 will penetrate the straw, each in this manner benefitting the 

 other, so that both will be eaten with a relish by cattle. 



For milch cows and sheep, clover hay, vetches, peas and 

 beans are far superior to any other kinds of hay. Cows 

 will yield more and better milk than from the other grasses, 

 but for horses, the timothy and herds grass hays are superior 

 to clover. 



There are some other kinds of hay procured from the 

 cereals, that must be treated in a different manner from 



