398 
THE RURAL. WEW-YORKER. 
plants wither and die. The seeds may be 
sowed about the first of May in drills at the 
rate of 12 pounds per acre; and a fair crop 
may usually be expected the same year. It 
should be cut while in blossom and handled as 
little as possible to prevent its leaves from be¬ 
ing broken off and lost. 
In conclusion, I will say that we have tested 
the Johusou Grass (Sorghum halapense) on our 
experimental ground for severa l years, but so 
far I have not seen enough of its virtues to 
warrant me in recommending it as a meadow 
grass. 
Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind. 
--- 
NOTES ON GRASSES AND CLOVERS 
FOR HAY. 
PROFESSOR G. E, MORROW, 
We rely mainly on Timothy and the com. 
mon R,ed Clover for our hay. In a small way 
we have made tests of Orchard Grass, Ken¬ 
tucky Blue Grass and Red Top; in a still 
smaller way with Lucern, Alsike Clover, etc. 
In ordinary field work we bow both grass and 
clover seed with stuall-graiu crops; and of 
these rye is given the preference for this pur¬ 
pose. In my personal experience on the Uni¬ 
versity Farms about equally good results have 
come from fall and early spring sowing of 
Timothy seed; clover seed, of course, being 
sown only in Spring. While decided prefer¬ 
ence is given to sowing early, say in March, 
good results have been bad when necessarily, 
as this year, the sowing has been done in 
April, with oats. In this case the soil is har¬ 
rowed with a slanting tooth or light harrow 
after the grass seed is sown. 
On our prairie soils heavy seeding has not 
been found necessary. We aim to sow a 
bushel of Timothy seed to four or five acres, 
with a bushel of clover seed to eight or ten 
acres. When clover is sown alone, I should 
sow about one peck per acre. For hay for 
cattle, I prefer a mixture of Timothy aud 
clover, aud liking this also for pasture, we 
nearly always sow the two together. The 
otnmon Red Clover has generally been used, 
being preferred to the large variety, except 
that the latter ripens with the Timothy while 
the former is ready for cutting earlier. As 
we cut from 80 to 120 acres of grass each year, 
we cannot cut all at the time we would like. 
We have some small pieces mainly of Ken¬ 
tucky Blue Grass, with a little clover. This 
we cut when in bloom. Timothy we com¬ 
mence cutting when in bloom; clover when 
in full bloom or a little later. Orchard Grass 
and Lucero should be cut as soon as in bloom 
or before. 
In suitable weather we aim each day to put 
in the barn or stack the grass cut the day be¬ 
fore; in exceptionally good weather, it is 
sometimes stored away the day it is cut. 
Unless there isan appearance of rain Timothy 
is rarely put into shock- We do not use a 
tedder. The hay is frequently raked into 
small windrows some little time before it is 
taken to the bam. We have not been espe¬ 
cially successful in attempts to store either 
grass or clover within an exceptionally short 
time after cutting. If I bad an acre or two 
of grass and could certainly foresee a bright, 
clear day on the morrow, I should cut the 
grass in the early evening, and store it away 
in the afternoon of the next day, before dew 
began to fall. In practice we do as we can. 
While 1 dislike to have grass wet, after it 
has been cut, 1 have frequently been surprised 
aud gratified at the very slight injury done it 
by even heavy rains coming soon after cut¬ 
ting. In case of continued unfavorable 
weather, I have not hesitated to continue 
cutting during light showers, or even con¬ 
tinued “drizzles.” 
Both for pasture and for hay, I think we 
have underrated the value of Orchard Grass, 
if sown thickly and not allowed to become 
harsh and woody by standing too long. Red 
Top I have lictle liking for. Blue Grass cut 
early, makes good hay, but is not profitably 
used for this purpose. 
Champaign, Ills. 
WALDO F. BROWN. 
To get an idea of the importance of the hay 
crop to the farmer, we must remember that 
in a large part of our country (and that the 
best part for farming) our horse3, cattle, aud 
sheep must be fed, on an average, half the 
year, and hay forms the staple food. Perhaps 
no other farm product varies in quality so 
much as this; some hay containing the rich 
juices of the plant so well preserved as to give 
it a delicious fragrance, and to make it pala¬ 
table and nutritious, while the same varieties, 
under different management, are destitute of 
fragrance, unpalatable to the stock, aud large¬ 
ly deficient in nutriment. The value of hay 
depends to a large extent on the intelligence 
and enterprise of the farmer, and every step, 
from sowing the seed to housing, should be 
carefully supervised if he wishes to have 
thrifty stock and good dairy products. 
Good hay is not produced by thin seeding; 
for the grasses will grow coarse and rank, 
whereas heavy seeding will give flue, soft hay. 
Through the great farming region of the 
Central States, between the Alleghany Moun¬ 
tains and the Mississippi River, and from the 
Ohio River to Canada, Timqjhy is the leading 
grass for hay, and always brings the highest 
price in the market. Two varieties of clover, 
the common Red and the Mammoth, also 
called Sapliug, Pea-vine, Large^nglisb, and, 
in Europe, Cow Grass, and three tame grasses, 
Orchard Grass, Red-Top and Blue Grass, are 
the only varieties, besides Timothy, that I 
have ever known our farmers to sow for hay. 
The last two named are rarely sown for this 
purpose, but on lands suited to them they 
grow spontaneously, and drive out all other 
grasses. 
The clovers should always be sowu in the 
Spring with small grain, and the best crops 
of both hay and seed are made when about 10 
pounds of seed to the acre are sown. On win¬ 
ter grain the seed should be sown when the 
land is frozen a little, and it is best to sow 
early in the morning of a clear day when the 
ground will soou thaw, as this partly covers 
the seed, and sticks it so that it is not likely 
to be washed into bunches by a rain. When 
sown on spring grain, always smooth the sur¬ 
face with a plank drag before sowing, and if 
it does not rain to cover it in a day or two, go 
over it, after sowing, with a brush or light 
drag. 
I would never sow common Red Clover 
with Timothy for hay, as there is too much 
difference in the time of ripening. The large 
variety of clover, however, will be ready to 
cut at the same time as Timothy, aud the two 
grow together admirably. I think that land 
seeded to Timothy and with three or four 
pounds of Mammoth Clover seed sown to the 
acre, will produce one half more hay than 
Timothy alone, and the clover cures 
beautifully with the Timothy. 
Orchard Grass and common Red Clover 
mature together, and the mixture cures well 
aud makes excellent hay. I have succeeded 
best with Orchard Grass sown in the Spring, 
and when sown with clover, I use one bushel 
of seed to the acre with about six pounds of 
clover. After some years’ experience with 
clovers, 1 greatly prefer the large variety for 
hay, The common clover, maturing as it 
does with us from May 25 to June 10, is very 
difficult to cure, as at this season there is 
usually more moisture iu the ground and at¬ 
mosphere than later, and it is very difficult to 
get a large quantity of this clover cured so as 
to make good, sweet hay. Besides, the work 
comes at a time when the corn crop needs all 
our time and energies. The Mammoth Clover 
is not so succulent, aud maturing later, when 
the sun is hottest, I have found much less 
trouble in curing it, and I have never fed hay 
more satisfactory to the stock than that made 
from this clover. The experience by other 
farmers who have given it a trial confirms 
this. To cure clover nicely, so as to have 
sweet, fragrant hay, requires good judgment 
and constant watchfulness. It should not be 
cut till thoroughly dry from external mois¬ 
ture, and must not be cured too much In the 
sun, or the leaves will crumble and fall off. 
Borne of our best farmers start the mowing 
machine as soon as all external moisture is 
dried—sun about three hours, or until thor¬ 
oughly wilted,and draw at once to the baru.and 
if a large quantity is mowed together in this 
way it makes excellent hay, as it heats and 
cures by its own heat. The moisture will 
gather and spoil a foot or so at the top of the 
mow, but below it will be bright and sweet. 
If the hay is to be cured thoroughly before 
putting into the barn, I advise that it be put 
in small cocks before the dew falls, and 
opened aud sunned the next day. Too much 
curing is almost as bad for clover as a rain. 
The best time to cut clover is when half the 
heads have turned brown; and if not cut soon 
after reaching this stage, it rapidly deterio¬ 
rates, the stems becoming woody and the 
leaves turning black. In sowing Timothy for 
hay, I use a bushel of seed to three acres, and 
think the quality of the hay much better thau 
when sowu thin. There are many farmers of 
my acquaintance who sow a bushel to 10 
acres, and thou allow it to stand till dead ripe 
before cutting. I think the best time to cut 
Timothy is soon after the blossom falls, just 
as the seed is forming; but when pure Timo¬ 
thy is sown, and the hay is intended for the 
working teams, It may be a little riper, but 
never so ripe that the seed will shatter. I 
think there is no- other gras9 so easily cured 
as Timothy, as three hours of bright sunshine 
will put it in good condition for the mow. 
All grasses intended to be fed to milch cows 
or growing cattle should be cut much earlier 
than those intended for work horses; although 
the latter should not be fed dead grass under 
the name of hay. Many carefully conducted 
experiments have shown conclusively the 
superiority of early-cut hay. One made by 
Professor Jordan, of the Pennsylvania State 
College, lasted 50 days, Four steers were 
selected, and two fed on early-cut hay and 
two on that which bad been cut late: after 28 
days 1 feeding they were “changed,” aud the 
two that bad been fed the early cut bay were 
fed the late cut. The two steers fed the early- 
cut hay gained 8.14 pounds, aud the other 
two 3 4 pounds per day; and 79 pounds of the 
early-cut bay made ns much gain as 100 pounds 
of the late cut A second experiment by 
the same Professor lasted three months, and, 
as less meal wasted, showed a still greater dif¬ 
ference in favor of the early cut bay. Two cat¬ 
tle fed on the early-out hay gained two pounds 
per day, while those fed on late-cut hay gained 
but .84 of a pouud, and 55 pounds of the 
early-cut hay made as much gain as 100 
pounds of the late-cut. In the first experi¬ 
ment each lot of two steers were fed 12 pounds 
of meal per day; in the second each two were 
fed seven pounds per day. 
The farmer who raises hay for market 
should have an intelligent idea of shrinkage, 
so as to know at what price he can profitably 
sell direct from the field. At. one of our agri¬ 
cultural experiment stations, a series of ex¬ 
periments was made extending over three 
years. Seventeen different lots of bay were 
weighed aud put in the baru aud a second 
weighing was made in December or at some 
later period during the Winter. The hay 
was made from Timothy and clover, aud was 
cut at different stages of growth from the 
time it began to head till it was nearly dead- 
ripe. Fourteen of the lots of bay contained 
two tous each, the other three 800 pounds 
each. The greatest shrin kage was 86 per cent, 
and in four lots it was over 30 per cent. The 
least shrinkage was 12 per cent, in very ripe 
clover. The average was 24.1 per cent. From 
the above it will be seen that, taking the cost 
of rehandling and the shrinkage, hay must 
advance largely iu price to pay for wintering. 
In a season like the present, when wheat 
and clover have been generally killed over a 
large area of country, many farmers are 
asking what can we substitute for hay? We 
have two good substitutes—millet and corn 
fodder. Either may be put iu.in this latitude.as 
late as June 10th with a good prospect of a 
crop. Millet will yield largely ou good laud, 
but the land should be finely pulverized. It 
is best to sow as soon after a raiu as the land 
can be worked, a9 if sowu just before a rain, 
there is more danger of weeds eomiug up with 
it. The seed should be covered lightly and I 
prefer a plank drag for the purpose, as it 
presses the earth to the seed, ami retains the 
moisture till it sprouts. When sown for hay, 
from three pecks to a bushel of seed per acre 
should be used. When corn fodder is to be 
grown as a substitute for hay, do uot sow 
broadcast or drill so thickly as to prevent a 
full development of the plant. If drilled one 
stalk to every six inches, or if iu hills three 
stalks to each 18 inches will give good results. 
Planted at this distance, the stalks will uot be 
as coarse as when planted as is usually done 
for grain, aud most of the stalks will set ears 
and produce some grain, aud the propor¬ 
tion of blade to stalk will be much greater 
than on ordinary fodder. With favorable 
weather at oaring time, a large yield of graiu 
is sometimes growu, aud the ears, though 
small, make excellent cattle feed. Coru 
planted in this way is not so liable to be blown 
down as wbBU sown thickly so as to grow 
spindling. A series of experiments In plant¬ 
ing at different distances apart is now being 
earned out at the Ohio Experiment Statiou. 
This is the fourth year, and it is intended to 
keep it up for 10 years, or more. From the 
three years reported, I find that the largest 
yield of fodder per acre is 10,203 pounds, aud 
the smallest, 2,433 pounds in the terrible 
drought of 1884, aud the average of uiue plots 
was 5,400 pounds, and the nine plots gave au 
average of 53 bushels to the acre, tuakiug a 
total yield of coru and folder of four aud a- 
half tuus per acre. These nine plots were all 
planted with au average of one stalk to each 
six inches of row, with the rows three-and-a- 
half feet apart, three of them being drilled 
with a single grain every six inches; three 
with two grains every foot, and three with 
three grains every 18 inches. 
Thousands of fanners who will read this 
article know that the usual straw stacks, 
wki h help out their winter feeding, will be 
wanting, aud that they will not have hay 
enough to make up the deficiency. Let me 
suggest that they try au acre or two, if no 
more, of coru plauted as here recommended. 
Butler Co., Ohio. 
■ ♦♦♦ — 
D. W. SMITH. 
In Central Illinois the principal, aud, indeed, 
almost the ouly plants grown for hay, are 
Timothy and Red Clover, sometimes sowu 
separately, but usually together. The proper 
tion is ouo-fourth or a bushel of Timothy, to 
which is added from a piut to a quart of Red 
Clover per acre. The best time for sowing 
Timothy is the last of August or the first of 
September, and the last of February or the 
first of March. The latter dates are usually 
regarded as being too early for seeding clover, 
aud it is generally sown separately about the 
first of April. A Timothy and clover meadow 
should yield from one-and-a-half to two-and- 
a half tons of bay per acre without the use of 
manure. The judicious application of well- 
rotted manure will materially tucrease this 
yield, but it is seldom resorted to. 
The custom which prevails in the Eastern 
States of cutting the aftermath for hay is al¬ 
most unknown here, and when practiced does 
not give good results. The reasons for this 
are various:—1st. The high price of labor 
aud the comparative cheapness of the crop 
leave very little profit. 2d. The loamy soil 
of this region will better resist drought when 
it receives a moderate amount of tramping 
with live stock during the fall mouths; the 
Timothy, too, seems to take a stronger root 
and to stool out better when pretty well 
trampled. 3d. The cutting of the Hftermath 
would necessitate frequeut re-seeding of the 
clover, whereas, by grazing, the ground is 
seeded liy the plant itself. 4th. The droppings 
from the live stock which graze Upon the fall 
growth enrich the laud. A Timothy and 
clover meadow judiciously handled improves 
in yield and in quantity from year to year 
without re seeding, and, practically, the ouly 
limit to its life aud usefulness, as a meadow, 
depends upon the forbearance of the Blue 
Grass, which seems to be almost indigenous 
to this country, and which sooner or later 
drives out aud takes the place of all other 
grasses upon well drained lands. Blue Grass 
itself makes a very superior bay; but the dif¬ 
ficulty of caring it. aud the light yield as 
compared with Timothy aud clover, render it 
unpopular and, indeed, almost imknowu as a 
meadow grass. 
I believe, however, that it will iu time come 
to be better appreciated iu this respect. My 
own experience goes to prove that both cattle 
and horses prefer Blue Grass hay to auy other 
which is grown in this part of the country. 
Its great value as a pasture grass is too well 
known to require any comment in this con¬ 
nection; suffice it to say that after being mown 
for hay, the fall growth makes the richest of 
fall pastures, and during an open Winter, it 
supplies good grazing until March. 
Red Top (Agrostis vulgaris) was introduced 
here mauy years ago,but has'proved a complete 
failure, both as a meadow and a pasture grass, 
Stock will not eat it either as hay or grass 
unless compelled to do so by hunger. In wet, 
undraiued pastures aud meadows, it becomes 
a veritable nuisance, as it seems to have an 
especial affinity for such places, driving out 
other grasses. 
Orchard Grass has beeu tried here with 
good results, but it has never become popu¬ 
lar and has never come into anything like 
common use. 
Timothy and clover are usually sown with 
or upon fall graiu, very seldom with spring 
graiu. Rye is probably the best crop with 
which to sow either or both, as it grows thick 
enough to protect the young shoots, and yet 
not thick enough to smother them. Timothy 
aud Blue Grass are sometimes sown in stand¬ 
ing corn during August without any small 
grain with them, and nearly always with good 
results. 
Timothy and clover meadows are usually 
mown during the first half of the mouth of 
July, just after the bloom is off the Timothy 
and whilst the clover is in full bloom—uot the 
seed bloom. There is considerable diversity 
of opiuion iu regard to the best time for cut¬ 
ting; the “new school” favoriug a somewhat 
earlier date when the Timothy is iu full 
bloom; the “old school” holding that Timothy 
should uot be cut for lmy until the seed is ripe. 
As usual in such cases, there is some reason 
ou both sides; cows seem to prefer the early 
cut hay; horses prefer that which is cut later ; 
which coutaius the most nutrimeut is a ques¬ 
tion to be determined by analyses and feeding 
experiments, and upon which I do not feel 
competent to pass. 
Sangamon County, Illinois. 
A GOOD WAY TO MAKE A MEADOW. 
J. B. ARMSTRONG. 
For the Central and Northern States Tim¬ 
othy and Red Clover are the most valuable 
crops for hay. But, for all purposes, clover 
is of most value to the good farmer; because, 
if properly handled, it makes good hay, and 
the green crop fertilizes the soil when plowed 
under. When growing Timothy for a per¬ 
manent meadow, the writer 1ms pursued the 
plan of sowing one-half bushel of unmixed 
seed per acre, ou well pulverized soil, about 
the first of September. If the ground needs 
enriching, as good a way as auy is to haul out 
stable manure, ashes, compost, etc., with a 
sled, and scatter it on the suow. There will 
l>e no signs of the straw litter to impede the 
mower at the next harvest, when we may look 
