464 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 7,1894, 
HAYMAKING. 
"Sweet as a posy” was the scent of some new mown hay 
which we came upon at the end of May. It was a reminder in 
the most agreeable way that, though much of the hay crop is 
backward, especially on poor land, there is plenty of it so 
forward in growth that mowing must soon commence if we 
would have hay of the highest quality. What that is, and how 
to obtain it, may now be explained to good purpose, in time to 
induce more generally particular attention to it as a matter of 
the first importance. 
What we want in hay is nutritive properties equal to those 
of the best summer pasture, upon which cattle and sheep fatten, 
and horses acquire lusty condition without other food of any 
sort This can be managed perfectly by mowing while the 
herbage is sweet, succulent, digestible, soft cellulose, instead of 
hard, dry, indigestible fibre. The first and desirable condition 
is secured by mowing when the grasses are in flower, the last 
and objectionable condition is unavoidable when the flowers are 
gone and seed appears. After this has taken place, the nearer 
the first growth approaches to ripeness, the more tough and 
hard becomes the fibre, the more inferior the quality of the hay. 
No matter how favourable the weather may be, or how skilfully 
the hay is made, it is bound to be inferior in quality. Let there 
be no mistake about the term’s significance. It points to sound, 
wholesome, nutritious food. High quality in hay runs through 
gradations of good, better, best. It is the best we want, and we 
can have it if our best mixed herbage of grasses and clovers is 
mown in the early stages of flowering, and the hay is really well 
made. It is then perfectly digestible, in the highest degree 
nutritious, and its intrinsic value as food is far above that of 
ordinary hay, however rich in aroma or high in colour the latter 
may be. 
Early mowing also has the resultant advantage of an 
abundant aftermath, aftergrowth, edish, whatever may be the 
local term applied to the growth which follows the clearance of 
the hay crop. The earlier we can have that growth the more 
nutritious it is. When the haymaking is so late that it runs on 
through July into August, then the aftermath never can be so 
useful or so valuable. With the falling temperature of Septem¬ 
ber there is a loss of richness of flesh and fat formers in 
pasture, and though there may be some useful '■ keeping ” for 
sheep, cattle often require some crushed corn to keep them from 
falling off in condition. 
It is always useful to arrive at first causes, and in this matter 
we may explain why there is so much late hay-making. First of 
all there is the evil of keeping stock too late upon the grass in 
spring. Then there is poverty of soil in the pasture—perhaps 
this should have had the first place, because the growth of 
herbage is always late on poor land. It is also often so thin and 
dwarf that it is left unmown till there is more bottom growth in 
order to obtain more bulk of hay. It is really owing to 
unreasoning mismanagement, to crass ignorance and stupidity. 
How can we expect a good hay crop if we do not cultivate the 
land? Really, to see the wretched apology for manure which 
many so-called farmers use, it would seem that they positively 
court failure. Cannot afford to do better ? Then what business 
have they to come to us for land ? If they hire it with the 
deliberate intention of taking all they can out of it, without 
a systematic and thorough application of manure, their conduct 
is culpable to say the least. It is as unfair to their landlord as 
it is hurtful to themselves. 
By a judicious annual expenditure of a moderate sum per 
acre upon pure chemical manure, a full and early hay crop can 
always be had. We are again using such manures to good 
purpose on some poor pasture in a locality notorious for inferior 
hay crops and neglected pasture. Our mixture this spring 
consisted of steam bone flour, mineral superphosphate, muriate 
of potash, and nitrate of soda. Though we were compelled to 
apply it to the pasture fully a month later than we wished, we 
were fortunate in having a dripping time. There is now no 
doubt about the matter; already is there such a crop of herbage 
as was probably never seen previously in the two meadows, 
the growth being quite a foot in height, while that of most of 
the neighbouring tenants’ land is barely 3 inches high. It is 
our intention to continue using a similar mixture of manures in 
these meadows every spring, so as to afford our doubtful tenants 
an object lesson—something tangible. The pasture is certain 
to improve, sustained fertility always does that; the outlay 
upon manures is certain to be well repaid this season, and to 
prove increasingly profitable in years to come, 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Icebergs in large numbers in the Atlantic have caused such a fall in 
the temperature in this eountry, that not only has growth been arrested, 
but it has sustained much injury. Rain, snow, hail, frost have been the 
chief weather alternations. Potatoes and Asparagus are cut down to 
ground. Broad Bean and Pea blossom is destroyed, much of the fruit 
crop has perished, in some instances even the unopened Strawberry 
flowers are cut off, corn and grass in many places has the top of the 
crop browned by frost. Most of the damage was done during the night 
of Saturday, May 19th. Rain was falling at 10 p m., later on in the 
night the weather cleared, and there was a sharp frost, the thermometer 
falling 10° or 12° below freezing point in some of the midland valleys. 
Among farmers, growers of fruit and vegetables for market are the 
greatest sufferers. Others may, and do, talk of a light hay crop on poor 
land, but apart from arrested growth they have little to complain of, and 
a warm dripping June will set things right. If the weather has been 
unkind, seed germination has gone on, the latest sowings of root crops 
are now up, and are showing a nice full plant. Many of the earlier 
crops of Mangold, Kale, and Cabbage are singled. Other similar work 
must be done quickly in its turn, as a change to warmer weather will 
set growth off with a rush, and much grass will soon be ready for the 
mower. Be on the alert with horse and hand hoes as the weather clears, 
and do the utmost to keep down weeds. Every weed is a robber of 
soil fertility, and it should always be remembered that in the preven¬ 
tion of weeds bearing seeds we are working for the future as well as 
the present. 
Some old layers of Sainfoin and mixed seed left for spring feeding 
are being broken up as the flock clears the growth. There is a useful 
limit to such layers, those which it is worth while to retain longer than 
others being thickly sown with a few of the stronger growing Grasses, 
and which, therefore, do not become foul. By our system of an annual 
application of manure growth is well sustained in them, and they ar& 
profitable for six years, or even a year or two longer. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamden Square, Londok. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N. ; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.: Altitude, lU feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the DAT. 
1 Rain, 
1894. 
May and June. 
1 Barometer 
1 at 32°, and 
1 Sea Level. 
Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of soil 
at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs. 
Sunday .. 
27 
29-ti6l 
46-9 
43-2 
N.B. 
53 0 
55-1 
41-8 
103-1 
37 9 
0-014 
Monday ., 
28 
29-607 
54-7 
45 0 
W. 
51-9 
56-1 
39-3 
102-0 
35-1 
0-038 
Tuesday .. 
29 
29-615 
49-8 
46-3 
W. 
51-5 
59-7 
39-2 
102-3 
35-9 
0-282 
Wednesday 
30 
29-750 
51-1 
47-1 
W. 
51-1 
61-6 
41-9 
109-9 
38-0 
0-198 
Thursday .. 
31 
29-7S1 
53-1 
47-6 
W. 
5 -9 
63-1 
39-2 
llb-6 
34-0 
0-086 
Friday 
1 
29-914 
60-0 
52-3 
SE. 
51-2 
64-0 
45-7 
105-9 
49-1 
0-161 
Saturday .. 
2 
29-708 
58-6 
55-4 
S. 
52-1 
66-0 
52-1 
112-8 
48-9 
— 
29-719 
53-5 
48-1 
51-7 
60-8 
42-7 
107-1 
38-6 
0 773 
REMARKS, 
27th.—Rain till 4 A.M., and slight showers in morning ; some sunshine in afternoon, an<i 
rain at 6.30 P.M. 
28th.—Generally sunny till about 11 A.M. ; generally cloudy after, with occasional spots 
of rain and slight showers. 
29th.—Fine and generally sunny morning : heavy rain with thunder from 0.30 P.M. to 
1.30 P.M. , sunny again later, and frequent thunder and rain from 3 P.M. to* 
3.30 P.M., and Irom 7.30 P.M. to 9 P.M. 
30th.—Bright sunshine early ; frequently cloudy after 10 A.M. ; thunder and storm rains 
in afternoon; fair evening. 
31st.—Alternate sunshine and showers throughout, with frequent thunder in afternoon, 
and lightning at 2 40 P .M. 
1st.—Sunny early ; generally overcast from 11.30 A.M.; spots of rain about 1 P.M., and 
rain at night; occasional thunder. 
2nd.—Rain till 6 A.M. : overcast till 11 A.M., and occasional sunshine after. 
A cold damp week with frequent thunder, but very little visible lightning.— 
G. J. Symons. 
