214 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[JnLT, 
Clay Lands— Crushing Clods. 
— • — 
If a farmer could plow all liis laud at just the 
I'iglit time for it to crumble down most readily, 
there would be no use for clod crushers. WhcQ 
there are several acres plowed, and the weather 
continues dry from day to day, much of it will 
often become so dry that it will turn up in large 
clods, in spite of all that can be done. When 
this is the case, it becomes necessary to make 
use of the roller and harrow, alternately, until 
the hard lumps are reduced so fine that the rain 
■will disintegrate them. If manure be hauled 
out in the spring, when the ground is wet, 
wherever the team poaches the wet soil — if it is 
a heavy loam, or calcareous clay — there will 
be more or less clods, as soon as the soil is 
plowed ; and where the team passes several 
times in one place, there will often be so much 
lumpy earth, that it will hardly be practicable 
to get mellow dirt enough to cover a hill of 
corn. But the fault is not in the farmer, as his 
teams and vehicles must travel over the soil, 
whellier it is wet or dry ; and even when the 
soil is thoroughly underdrained, and in a high 
state of fertility, it will plow up in lumps. It 
is sometimes utterly impracticable to plow a 
large field at the best time. Tlierefore, since 
clods and lumps are unavoidable, we must 
adopt the most effectual and economical way 
to pulverize them. Wlieu bard and dry, they 
are very difficult to crush' with any implement, 
but soon after a heavy shower of rain, when 
the soil has dried suflioiently to prevent adher- 
ing to the roller, or crusher, they may be re- 
duced to powder very effectually. Let a har- 
row follow the roller to bring up theclods that are 
partially buried, and roll the second time. If 
the roller be applied at the correct time, clods 
will give but little trouble. Where there are 
lumps between rows of corn or potatoes, the 
best wa}' to dispose of them is to turn out all 
hands, with a.ves, clubs or mauls, and crush 
them. A blow applied with the flat side of an 
ax, will do the business as efi'ectually as any- 
tliing. When weeds and grass are small, this 
practice will be found almost equal to a dres- 
sing with hand hoes. When a field is not 
underdrained, and is excessively wet, and 
lieavy animals have been allowed to travel over 
it, we must e.'cpect hard lumps when it is plowed. 
•-. — ♦^^ I ■ 
More about Orchard Grass. 
Several inquiries, especially one from S. W. 
Penney, of Licking Co., Ohio, suggest a few 
additional remarks on the cultivation of or- 
chard grass. Our correspondent writes that 
his (iirm is principally stocked with sheep, that 
he has been using clover, timothy and blue 
grass for meadows and pasture, with the addi- 
tion of early sown rye for late and early feed ; 
and adds : " From what I have read I am dis- 
posed to try orchard grass. Please advise me 
in the Agriculturist what other grasses to mix 
■with it for pasture or meadow? How much 
seed per acre of each ? The best time for sow- 
ing, whetlier it should be sown in autumn or 
spring? and whether it should be cut at same 
Bt.ate of maturity as timothy?" 
In addition to what is given ou pages 114 
and 115, we will state that orchard grass 
no doubt -will succeed well ■n'herever timo- 
thy ■will, either for pasture or early bay. If 
the soil were iu n. very fertile slate, we 
•B-ould sow ten pounds of early red clover seed 
— which matures about the same time ■with 
orchard grass — fourteen pounds (1 bushel) or- 
chard grass, and seven pounds (half a bushel) 
of Kentucky blue grass. The object of the 
blue grass is to f<jrm a better sod than the or- 
chard grass and red clover will make. The 
blue grass will occupy all the bare spots between 
the tussocks of orchard grass and the bunches 
of clover; and will furnish late pasture, when 
red clover has nearly ceased to grow. But, as 
red clover and orchard grass grow larger than 
blue grass, it will not amount to much in mak- 
ing hay. Sow orchard grass and early red 
clover iu the spring, in preference to the fall, 
as young clover is very liable to be injured by 
freezing and thawing in -winter and spring. It 
is also better to sow orchard grass in the spring 
when sowed ■with red clover, as the two ■will 
mature at nearly the same time. If orchard 
grass and Kentucky blue grass be sowed iu 
autumn, and red clover the following spring, 
the clover does not have an equal chance with 
them, and a large proportion of it ■\vill be 
choked and die. All of these kinds of grass 
should be cut for hay as soou as they have at- 
tained their growth and are in full blossom. 
Making Clover Hay. 
In making clover hay it should be the ainr to 
cut it at that stage of the growth of the plant 
when it vdW make the most and best dry fodder ; 
to cure it in such a -way that it will retain its 
green color and nourishing properties in the 
highest degree, and to perform this labor with 
the greatest economy and dispatch. The main 
difficulty encountered is this : if it is not man- 
aged properly during the curing process, the 
hay will be harsh, very dry, and unpalat- 
able ; the heads and leaves will drop off before 
the crop can be cured ; and if it is not cured 
enough it will " mo-^\'-buru, " badly depreciate 
iu value, and finally be less nutritious than 
good straw. When managed properly it may 
be cured so as to retain all the leaves and 
flowers, aud if the ■weather is not too -wet or 
lower}', even the color of the blossoms will not 
be entirely lost. We have often picked up 
heads of red clover, when feeding stock in the 
■winter, which were cured properly, aud smelled 
aud tasted as sweet as when just made. 
The time to cut red clover for hay, is ■when 
it has attained nearly or fully its greatest growth 
and is in full bloom. If a crop of seed is ex- 
pected from the second growth, it should be cut 
a little sooner than this. (See an article in this 
volume, page 182, ou growing clover seed.) 
Clover should not be sunned too much. 
Three or four hours of uninterrupted sunshine, 
if it is spread out and stirred once or twice, are 
sufficient. Where it is thick on the ground, or 
in swaths, the upper side is frequently burned 
by scorching heat, which renders it harsh and 
brittle. A convenient amount should be cut 
as nearly at the same lime as practicable, so 
that it may all be cured alike. When a meadow 
is mowed by going around it, sometimes a por- 
tion of the hay is exposed to the sun several 
hours longer than it ought to be, while another 
part of the same grass receives not half enough. 
This should be carefully guarded against. 
If the mowing is done with scythes, com- 
mence on one side of the field, and either mow 
back and forth, or cut around as much as can be 
laid down in one or two hours. If the clover 
is cut with a mower, drive around about as 
much as a team will mow in the same length of 
time. The object is to have all the hay that 
is cut at a certain time iu the daj', lie by it- 
self As soon as it is cut, spread the swaths 
evenly over the entire ground. Then mow 
another acre or more, or let the clover be spread 
by another hand as fast as it is cut. The true 
■way is to mow a field as it is plowed, •^■hen we 
commence on one side, working towards the 
other. The clover that ■was cut before noon, 
should be raked and put iu cocks before night, 
if it be a good hay day. After it is cut, the more 
it can be shaken up and turned over, and " kept 
in the air," the better the hay ■will be in the 
winter. If the farmer owns a Hay Tedder, let 
it be kept in motion from one hour after the 
clover is cut, until fit to rake. When clover is 
allowed to remain in the swath for a few hours, 
or half a day, or as some practise, a day and a 
night, before it is turned over or spread, all that 
portion on the surface will be cured too much, 
while the middle, or under side will scarcely be 
wilted. Every stalk should have the benefit, it 
possible, of a few hours hot sun. The chief ob- 
ject is to evaporate a large part of the water 
contained in the juices. This may at first be 
done very rapidly, for while it is going on, the 
clover is as it were enveloped iu au atmosphere 
of moisture, and cannot parch. As soon as 
rapid evaporation stops, and it begins to smell 
and to be hay-like, and not simply wilted clo- 
Ter, it is time to check the drying by putting 
the hay into windrows or cocks. Here the exer- 
cise of good judgment is essential, lest the new 
mown hay be dried too quickly, and too much, 
which injures its excellence quite as much as it 
does to bake bread or cake in too hot an oven. 
When titb Clover Hat is fit to Rake. — 
An experienced hay-maker can decide with 
great accuracy, even blindfolded, ■when hay has 
been sunned sufficiently to rake and put in 
cock. Before it is cured enough it feels heavy, 
and it is the water in it that renders it so. As 
soon as the great bulk of the water is evaporat- 
ed, it feels uot only light, but soft and wilted. At 
this period it should be raked with all possible 
dispatch, and cocked up. The semi-fluid sub- 
stances now in the stalks and leaves, need 
simply to be cured by the drying atmosphere. 
The burning sun injures them, just as too much 
broiling makes something like sole-leather out 
of a good steak. If in cocks, or in the shade, 
what remains of the curing is gradual and com- 
plete. In cocking hay, the ■windrows should not 
be rolled up in compact masses, and pressed 
down closelj', as it prevents the partial circula- 
tion of air essential to curing and drying. The 
cocks should be made narrow aud high, by 
placing one forkful directly on the top of an- 
other. When of this form, the new hay cures 
and dries out much sooner than when the cocks 
are broad and low. Furthermore, when one 
forkful is placed above another, the ends of 
the haulms are on the outside and hangin<' 
downward, carry off rain. In wet ■ivealber 
cover the cooks with hay caps; but keep the 
caps off so long as there is no danger from rain. 
When the weather is pleasant, let the cocks be 
forked over every day after the dew is off, by 
pitching thin forkfuls from them, and laying 
the hay up into cocks again. An active man 
will re-cock three tons in one hour; and thus 
give it a good airing. Repeat this process for 
three days at least, when the hay may be housed 
or stacked. When getting it in, as soon as a 
load is put on the ■wagon, turn over cocks 
enough for another load, stirring up the damp 
hay near the bottom. By the time one load is 
pitched off, another load will be in prime order 
■ to go into the barn. It is not good practice to 
spread out eight or ten tons of hay at one time, 
unless there is help enough to secure it before it 
is injured by too much sunshine or rain, 
