1911 
A LARGE CROP OF CLOVER HAY. 
Best Method of Handling It. 
Will you give a discussion of the best method of hand¬ 
ling a large crop of clover hay? I should like methods 
from standing grass to safe in the barn. I am a constant 
reader, with a 1,000-acre farm on my hands. m. k. c. 
Now York. 
M. K. C. does not say how much of this farm is 
under crop rotation, but doubtless enough clover is 
grown to make the saving of it a diligent and inter¬ 
esting proposition. To handle clover successfully in 
rotation with other crops it should come in every third 
year, and there should also be live stock carried in 
sufficient numbers to consume it. With as large an 
area in clover as is supposed to be grown on a farm 
of this size, the work must be done on a large scale. 
It will not be possible to manage as is done on small 
farms, cutting down one day what is hoped to be 
cared for the next. As there is a large area the risk 
is correspondingly greater of being able to save it 
without loss. It would be a comparatively easy un¬ 
dertaking except for the fact that the weather must be 
reckoned with. Modern machinery makes it possible 
to do very rapid work with a com¬ 
paratively small force of men. 
Still the number required is more 
easily secured, because such work¬ 
men like to go in gangs. The 
controlling mind must however 
be a skilled one, for changing- 
weather may make a change of 
plans necessary every day. 
There should be sufficient barn 
or shed room to cover all the hay, 
so that none will have to be 
stacked out of doors, and these 
buildings should be conveniently 
located to save time in getting- 
tile hay from the fields. On a 
farm of this size it will cost too 
much to have the hay barns in one 
group; besides, there would be too 
great a risk in having so much in 
one place; much better to have 
three or four sets of buildings and 
work as many squads of men. No 
hay should be cut with the dew 
on. Commence after the dew is 
off, and cease before it gathers in 
the evening, and do not start the 
harvest till some of the clover 
heads show brown. When cut in 
full bloom it is too slow in curing. 
Have a sufficient number of ma¬ 
chines to cut as rapidly in as short 
a time as possible the amount de¬ 
sired daily. In such a large har¬ 
vest as this every plan possible 
should be made to save labor, and 
at some risk to the quality of the 
hay. It is admitted that shock 
curing is the best, but the labor 
required to shock will load it and 
more, consequently it is safest and 
cheapest to cure in swath and 
windrow. If clover hay is wet 
completely with rain it is better 
to have it wet in the swath than 
in windrow or shock. Unless 
very heavy it will go through a 
week of rain in the swath and 
then make fair hay, and not be 
blackened as it would in the wind¬ 
row or shock. Of course some of 
the solids will be washed out 
more in swath than in the windrow or shock: still 
the hay will be better, because not black or mouldy. 
But let us go back a little. When seeded for 
meadow the land should be made smooth, and all 
stones and other sickle obstructions removed, so that 
when the mowers are started all attention can be 
given to them and their work. The mowers should 
all be of the same make and width of cut, and should 
not be run more than a half a day without grinding. 
Start the cutting as soon as the dew is off and rush 
while they run. If the hay is heavy time can be saved 
in curing by using the tedder. The same day in which 
it is cut it can sometimes with safety be put in the 
windrow. This will reduce amount of exposure to 
dew, and hasten the time to mow away the next day. 
It may not be safe to put in mow till afternoon of the 
second day, but two hours before noon may be used 
in shocking that can stand till well cured. By this 
plan the work can go on till there may be enough in 
shock to commence hauling in when the dew is off, 
and enable the manager to drop out this forenoon 
shocking. The men should be furnished with as light 
forks as can be depended on to stand the work, the 
handles not being longer than necessary. It has been 
THE RURAb NEW-YORKER 
the custom of the writer when buying forks to pass 
them over the counter scales, taking the lightest. If 
the hay is to be taken up with loaders they should all 
be of the same make, as should the wagons, with 
ladders of same capacity. If slings are used they also 
should be of same make, so that they will fit any 
wagon and work the same on the carriers at the barn. 
When the hay is to be taken up with loaders, a side- 
delivery rake will make a better windrow than a 
dump or revolving rake, and more, the windrows will 
not be so compact, and if wet with rain can be more 
easily torn to pieces with a tedder. Hay wet with rain 
can be hastened in drying by using the tedder, but 
the sun and air must dry hay dampened with dew. 
We never could hasten matters by tedding dew-damp¬ 
ened hay. The starting can often be hastened a day 
by cutting on Saturday and letting lie in the swath 
till the dew is off Monday morning, when if the 
weather is favorable the hay can be taken to the barn. 
In another way matters can be hastened. When the 
first hay is put in the mow it can be put in pretty 
damp, letting it drop from the horse fork on to the 
center of the floor. If put in Saturday afternoon it 
can lie till Monday morning, when the force of men 
can move it, all spreading it out over the mow and 
tramping it down. While there is plenty of room in 
the mow hay can be handled and cured by the mow 
handling that would often be lost if allowed to remain 
in the field to cure. We have put it in so damp that 
the next morning it would be smoking, and cured it 
all right by moving every forkful and shaking it out 
and tramping it in place. By using the men this way 
in the mornings they are able to get in full time. It 
is also a good plan to have stack or rick covering 
large enough to cover a load on a wagon. Ofte~ the 
wagon can be loaded and covered when there is not 
time to unload, and the hay saved from getting wet. 
Or hay can be loaded that is too damp to put in the 
mow and allowed to remain on the wagon over night, 
or for a much longer time if necessary, the heat that 
is generated escaping when the hay is unloaded and 
mowed away, leaving in safe condition to come out 
well-cured hay. Hay should not be put in the mow 
carrying any other moisture than belongs to it. This 
can be dried out in the mow, leaving the hay bright. 
But if put in damp with dew or rain it is very un¬ 
certain what kind of hay it will be when it comes to 
401 
be used. If the hay barns are in the hayfields often 
clover hay can be drawn with sweep rakes from the 
swath windrow and shock to the barns. This plan 
cuts the labor down to the minimum, but it is not 
often that this can be done for a whole day without 
much waste of hay by loss of leaves and broken stems. 
This is an outline of many plans that are used where 
large areas of hay are put up. The amount of hay 
determines each year the force necessary to handle it, 
so no rule can be laid down as to this part of the work. 
Ross Co., Ohio. john m. jamison. 
GROWING SEED OF HAIRY VETCH. 
I want to sow some Winter, Sand or Hairy Vetch, which 
can be sown in Spring or Fall. I want to know if it will 
ripen here if sown in the Spring, or must it be sown in the 
Fail and left to ripen over Winter? a. d. b. 
Berlin, Mass. 
I have learned how to grow vetch for seed. I am 
surprised that more definite and particular experiments 
are not undertaken by the State experiment stations 
and the Department at Washington. Not having any¬ 
thing for a guide I began at the foot and am now 
working up. On August 3, 1909, I had a cupful of 
Winter vetch left over from some 
that I sowed in the Fall of 1908. 
Of this 1908 Fall sowing only a 
few plants wintered (planted too 
late). With this cupful I planted 
three seeds at the base of each as¬ 
paragus hill, making about three 
rows (300 feet long each). These 
seeds, sown August 3, 190S, came 
up nicely and made quite a good 
growth, about 12 to 15 inches tall, 
climbing some on the asparagus 
stalks. They wintered well and 
in the Spring started right away 
to climb skywards. As soon as 
the growth was tall enough brush 
was struck up so the vines would 
be supported. This first brush 
was four to seven feet tall, and 
the vetch grew so vigorously that 
almost all the brush was hidden. 
When in full bloom the sight was 
beautiful. From the product of 
this cupful I harvested over 55 
pounds of seed, which I sowed 
Fall of 1910, some in rows and 
the remainder broadcast on about 
two acres. The vetch was bushed 
in May, 1910, and harvested July 
19, 1910. Enough seed ripened 
before July 19 to seed the three 
rows; this came up well Fall of 
1910, and made a perfect mat on 
the ground. Some vines were 
over 3 l /2 feet long, and none 
raised above the ground over two 
inches. On March 6, 1911, all the 
under vines were nice and green, 
and so far as seen none had win¬ 
ter killed. I would not sow the 
vetch in the Spring if I wanted to 
get seed. The root system is very 
extensive and many nodules were 
found last Fall. The land where 
this vetch was planted was part of 
an abandoned farm, and so poor 
that asparagus did not do very 
well, primarily because it was not 
prepared properly a year or so 
ahead of planting. Vetch should 
be planted two or three inches 
deep. Wire might be used for it to 
climb up on, but brush is better, cheap and handy on 
most farms. So far as I know I am the only one who 
has done any vetch experiments in this whole neigh¬ 
borhood. A picture of a clump of the vetch is shown 
at Fig. 166. c. W. PRESCOTT. 
Massachusetts. 
HOW TO USE LIME. 
We have more questions about the use of lime than 
on any other single line of agriculture. There are 
several things which may be repeated over and over. 
Ground limestone is better on light soils which have 
little humus in them. We would use burned lime on 
heavy or very sour soils. Never buy lime without a 
guaranteed analysis, and figure from it which pound 
of lime is cheapest. For quick results you should use 
two pounds of ground limestone to one of burned 
lime. Do not use lime on potatoes or strawberries. 
Its best results are on clover, ATfalfa, Timothy, 
wheat and garden crops. Usually it is better to use 
lime when seeding to grass, grain or clover. Do not 
plow lime under, but spread on the rough furrows 
and harrow in. You will seldom obtain good results 
by spreading on top of a sod. Do not mix burned 
lime with hen manure or any other organic plant food. 
The ground limestone may be safely used for this 
purpose. 
CORN GROWN AFTER ALFALFA IN MICHIGAN. Fig. 167. 
CORN GROWN AFTER HAIRY VETCH IN INDIANA. Fig. 168. 
