18(51.] 
AMERICAN AG-RIO ' LTURIS'I 
207 
A few conditions are necessary for the luxu¬ 
riant growth of grass; adjacent circumstances 
must determine how to secure these conditions. 
Thus, the soil must be suited to the kind of 
grass, otherwise it will soon run out, and can 
only be kept by plowing and re-seeding often. 
For instance, one writer says, “ whoever has 
limestone land, has blue grass; whoever has 
blue grass, has the basis of all agricultural pros¬ 
perity.” The estimate is undoubtedly too high, 
but the fact of the suitableness of the limestone 
soil to blue grass, is unquestioned; and the 
thousands of acres of Kentucky and Ohio pas¬ 
tures perennially productive of this species, are 
evidence of the truth of the statement. So then, 
if a blue grass pasture has failed on a soil un¬ 
suited to its permanence, the remedy is to seed 
with some other variety which will be at home 
on that particular soil. 
Whatever the soil, no pasture ground will re¬ 
main good long, when overstocked. Though 
none dispute this truth, yet half the complaints 
of failing pastures come from neglect of it. Many 
err in turning in stock before the roots of the 
grass are strongly entrenched in the soil. Not a 
hoof should enter the field the first season after 
seeding, nor the following Spring until the grass 
is well started, and it should then be fed but 
sparingly until a thick matted turf is formed; 
and afterward it should never be pared to the 
very ground. 
Many pasture grounds will need manure in 
addition to what is left by cattle. An occasion¬ 
al dressing of 300 to 500 lbs. of bone-dust per 
acre, will make itself felt in the increased pro¬ 
duct of grass. Where only cattle feed upon 
grazing lands, go through the field two or three 
times in a season and scatter the lumps of ma¬ 
nure with a maul or other implement; other¬ 
wise a few spots will be over-fed and rank, while 
the surrounding soil may be lacking fertility. 
It will seldom pay to break up a natural pas¬ 
ture. A thorough scarifying with a harrow, and 
the application of manure with a little seed, will 
in most cases r'estore it effectually. In any case, 
avoid the one remedy principle. Take into 
consideration all the circumstances, and give 
the treatment which the particular symptoms 
indicate. 
-— -—1<S>»~-- 
Cutting Next Year’s Grass. 
“Don’t leave your wages behind you,” is a 
caution often given in the hay field, when the 
mowers fail to shave the surface as close as the 
scythe can be made to cut: or if the horse mow¬ 
er be used, the knives are set to run as low as 
may be. The objection has been made by some, 
that these instruments are wasteful on account 
of the high stubble left; because, argue the ob¬ 
jectors, an inch at the butt is worth two inches 
at the top. This is far from certain. As is well 
known, the lower part of the stalk is the first to 
harden and stiffen by the change of much of its 
substance into woody fiber. This adapts it to 
support the weight added to the upper part, in 
the growth of flower and seed, but unfits it for 
feeding; so that there is but little loss of food 
when one or two of the lower joints are left 
uncut. 
But even granting that the whole stalk is val¬ 
uable for fodder, some regard must be had to 
the future grass crop, unless on ground intend¬ 
ed for immediate plowing. Cultivated grasses 
in our meadows are perennials, depending for 
future growth and propagation on the parts un¬ 
der ground as well as upon the seed. When the 
top is removed by mowing, the whole after¬ 
growth must come from below. In herds-grnss 
for example, at the base of each stalk small off¬ 
sets or bulbs are attached to the main bulb from 
which the stem springs. These contain nour¬ 
ishment eliminated from the soil and the air, by 
the roots and the leaves. It is designed as food 
for the young shoots of the next season’s growth, 
which will spring from the bulbs, just as the 
parent stalk grew from the main bulb. In the 
natural growth of grass, the leaves and stalk 
continue to supply these bulbs with nourish¬ 
ment until late in the season, when the stem 
withers. Cutting the stalk during or immedi¬ 
ately after blossoming, does violence to the na¬ 
ture of the plant, by stopping supplies intended 
for future growth. This is in some measure un¬ 
avoidable, but if the two lower joints of the 
grass be left, a sufficient after-growth will im¬ 
mediately spring up, to afford a very fair stock 
of material for the bulbs. Where the stalks are 
cut close to the ground, unless rain follows im¬ 
mediately, the burning sun scorches them down 
to the very pith of the parent bulb, and we have 
seen whole acres of timothy killed in this man¬ 
ner in a single season. The effects of heat are 
felt all the more because the lower growth has 
been shaded during the whole season, and is 
illy prepared to resist the full power of the sun. 
We therefore advise the economy which looks 
to the future of the meadow. Do not cut next 
year’s grass in the great eagerness to make the 
most of the present crop. It may also be re¬ 
marked here, that immediately after mowing is 
a very favorable time to spread composted ma¬ 
nure upon the meadow. It acts as a mulch, 
preserving the bulbs and roots from scorching, 
as well as fertilizing the ground and quicken¬ 
ing the young growth. 
Hints for Haying Time. 
This is preeminently the haying month through¬ 
out the N orthern States. And it is one of the 
most important operations of the whole year. 
Probably the statement is not over-drawn, 
which makes the annual hay-crop of the single 
state of New-York exceed in value the annual 
gold crop of California, taking it in the long 
run. The importance of cutting, curing and 
storing it in the best manner, can hardly be 
over-estimated. A few hints on this topic: 
All are not agreed as to the best time for cut¬ 
ting timothy; some claim that it should not 
be touched until the heads are plump and full of 
seed, others that it should be cut as soon as the 
stalk is full grown and the heads are bursting 
into blossom. The majority hold the latter 
view—and wisely, we think, especially where 
there are large meadows to be cut. If it be left 
until the grass is fully ripe, before commencing 
to cut, the last part of the crop will have be¬ 
come hard and dry, certainly if there be only a 
moderate force of workmen, and if many rainy 
days occur. Grass cut while green, con¬ 
tains much more nutriment, and is more easily 
eaten than when over ripe. In the process of 
ripening the stem, the starch, sugar, and gum are 
converted into woody fiber. This is the useful 
design of nature to stiffen the stalk, that it may 
sustain the seeds until they are ripe, but it de¬ 
stroys much of the plant’s nutritive qualities. 
What we want in hay, is to preserve as much 
as possible of the food qualities of good grass. It 
is perhaps no extravagance to say that good, 
bright straw is about as valuable for fodder, as 
grass cut after it is fully ripe. There is also this 
important consideration in favor of early cutting, 
viz : the roots of the grass become Icsb exhausted, 
and yield a more vigorous after-growth. Nor is 
it a small item that green cut hay sends fewer 
foul seeds into the manure heap. 
But the mode of curing is hardly less import¬ 
ant than the time. There is good sense in the 
old maxim, “ Make hay while the sun shines;” 
but hay may get too much sunshine. If grass 
is over-dried in wind and sun, it loses much ol 
its sweetness and richness. Who does not 
know that distillers of plants always dry them 
in the shade, thus preserving their oily portions 
and fine flavors ? So with hay: it may be so 
dried up by the sun as to render it little better 
for fodder than so much brusli-wood. We will 
thank the sun to dry off the dew, and to just 
wilt our grass, then we can almost dispense 
with his services. 
Or, to be a little more particular: We will 
cut grass in the forenoon, and turn it over in 
the afternoon. Next day, as soon as the dew is 
dried off, we will rake it up into windrows and 
let it lie until the middle of the afternoon, when, 
if well cured, it may be carted in, or cocked up. 
Next day, if the weather be good, the cocks 
may be opened awhile, and then carted in, or 
stacked. If not convenient to house it at once, 
it may stand in the cock uninjured for several 
days. If rain should get into the windrows or 
cocks, they must be spread and dried. Just 
here the hay caps come in play; and each cock 
of hay may with very little expense be safely 
tented, and be almost as secure as though stored 
in the barn. 
The manner of putting up the cocks is no trifling 
thing. It is not enough to roll the hay into big 
bundles; for if thus managed, the cocks will 
absorb rain instead of shedding it, and will be 
very apt to blow over in high winds. Let them 
be laid up carefully, by placing one fork-full on 
top of the other, making the heaps tall and not 
broad, and dressing them off with the pitchfork, 
like a thatched roof. They will then stand sev¬ 
eral weeks of all sorts of weather, uninjured. 
Sometimes, it is found necessary to get in hay 
when a little too green. In such cases, it is well 
to mix in an occasional layer of old hay or dry 
straw. This will absorb the surplus moisture of 
the green hay, and the dry fodder will itself be 
improved by it. It is also an excellent plan to 
have several places for storing hay, so as not to 
be obliged to put in more than one load to a 
single mow in a day. Let it not be trodden 
down much when first put in. 
Anc before leaving the topic, let us remind 
the reader that much labor, time, and expense 
will be saved by the use of the “ horse-pitch 
fork” for unloading. We have described and 
illustrated several. The poorest one we have 
ever seen is far better than none. Every farmer 
having half a dozen or more acres of grass, 
should get the best one within his reach. They 
are now on sale in most parts of the country. 
The best kind, with ropes and pulleys all 
complete, costs not more than $10 or $12, and 
will soon pay for itself. 
Air Ducts in Mows, 
Hay, however well cured, will contain more 
or less moisture, unless the process of drying has 
been carried so far as to render it entirely unfit 
for fodder. Few seasons are so favorable that 
several loads are not deposited in the mow 
somewhat damp, either wet by a sudden shower, 
or carted in before entirely ready, to escape in¬ 
jury from a threatened storm. When a large 
amount of hay or grain is packed closely to¬ 
gether, it requires but a small degree of mois- 
