188 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
June 
If a more simple or useful machine for the purpose 
is in use, I shall he pleased to see it described in the 
Cultivator. Robt. White, Jr. 
New-York, 4 th mo 1846. 
HAY MAKING-. 
Why not adopt the same rule in regard to the time 
of cutting clover and grass for hay, that is followed in 
cutting medicinal herbs? The object in both cases is 
to secure the intrinsic virtues of the plant. In curing 
herbs, as all acquainted with the subject admit, the 
most proper time for cutting is when they are in full 
bloom: and it is also admitted that they should be cur¬ 
ed in the shade, because if exposed to the more direct 
influence of the sun and air, some of their valuable pro¬ 
perties would be evaporated. 
We know there is some difference of opinion in re¬ 
gard to the proper time for cutting grass. The advo¬ 
cates for ripe hay contend that there is more “ sub¬ 
stance ” in it, and that it will (( go further ” in feeding 
stock, than that which is cut while it is in blossom. 
And so we suppose there is still more “ substance ” in 
scrub-oak brush, and that it would go still farther in 
feeding (not supporting) stock. Admitting there is 
more substance in ripe grass, is it a kind of substance 
which affords more nourishment to animals? 
Plants, at the time of flowering, contain starch, gum, 
and sugar; all of which are known to nourish animals. 
In the formation of seed, the stems and leaves are ex¬ 
hausted of these substances, and the substance which 
remains is chiefly woody fibre. But it may be said j 
that the composition of woody fibre, starch, and gum, 
are nearly the same. Admitted, but this does not 
prove that animals are able .to extract nearly an equal 
amount of nourishment from each. The composition 
of the diamond, the hardest of all substances, may be 
said to be similar to that of starch, gum, &c.,—carbon 
being the chief element of all; but the digestive or¬ 
gans of animals would hardly be able to convert the di¬ 
amond into organized tissue. And though woody fibre, 
if eaten by cattle or sheep, might “ stick by the ribs,” 
we think the ribs would not acquire from it much fat, 
or the system much strength. 
In some parts of the country, animals are actually fat¬ 
tened for market on hay alone. This may sound strange 
to those who feed their stock only with clover and tim¬ 
othy which has gone to seed; for we presume their 
stock was never thus fattened. But where this object is 
attained, the grass is cut while it is quite green, (not 
past bloom) and made and preserved with great care. 
It is true there are some kinds of grasses,—as the “spire 
grass,” or “Kentucky blue grass,” ( Poapratensis) which 
make but little bulk in seed-stalks, the chief growth 
consisting of leaves which spring from the root. The 
greatest value in fodder would be obtained in such ca¬ 
ses by allowing the crop to grow till it had acquired its 
greatest bulk. This remark however by no means ap¬ 
plies to clover, or timothy, or the grasses usually culti¬ 
vated for hay. 
In making hay, we would expose it to the sun and 
air no more than is required to effect its preservation, 
for the same reason that is above given in reference to 
curing herbs. Clover can be cured—indeed it is more 
conveniently cured—with but very little exposure to the ! 
sun. If it is not wet, and is fairly wilted, it may be put j 
with forks, into cocks, which will weigh, when dry, j 
about fifty pounds each, and will effectually cure. ! 
Timothy, also, may be cured in the same manner. The 
finer grasses, when thrown into a body, pack more close- j 
ly and afford less space for the air; consequently they i 
require to be more thinly spread in making. 
Excepting with clover, which we never spread out ! 
of swath, our practice has been to spread out the 
swaths as evenly as possible, if the burden is stout, as 
soon as the dew is off; in the afternoon, rake and cock 
it before the dew falls. We prefer putting it in cocks, 
even if it is no more than wilted, because the sweating 
it will there undergo in the course of twelve hours, 
will much facilitate the making, and if the grass is 
coarse and hard, it will render it much more soft. Be¬ 
sides, hay that has been well sweated in cock, is not 
liable to ferment in the stack or mow. 
Whether the hay which was mowed and put in cocks 
on the first day will make so that it will do to go to 
the barn on the second day, depends of course on its 
condition, and the state of the weather. If all appear¬ 
ances indicate that the hay can be made sufficiently on 
the second day, (and repeated observations only can 
determine the degree of dryness which is required,) 
open the cocks and shake the hay out lightly, tho¬ 
roughly breaking all the locks with the fork. But it 
should not lie spread out later than three or four 
o’clock in the afternoon, but should be put up again, or 
if dry enough, put in the barn by this time, lest it con¬ 
tract moisture. If from the condition of the hay or the 
appearances of the weather, there is a probability that 
the hay cannot be made enough in one day, let it re¬ 
main undisturbed till the weather is favorable. 
There are one or two other considerations in favor 
of early cutting which we omitted to notice above. It 
is admitted by physiologists that plants exhaust both 
their own energies and the soil, more in forming seed, 
than in the whole preceding portion of their growth. 
Thus when grass is suffered to ripen, it gives but little 
after-growth, and from the exhaustion mentioned, the 
sward more quickly dies out. 
MR. WOOLWORTH’S LECTURES. 
In our May number, we published some resolutions 
which were passed at an agricultural meeting in Ho¬ 
mer, in reference to the lectures of Mr. Woolworth, 
on Agricultural Chemistry and Geology delivered in 
that place. Through the Cortland County Whig, we 
have received the address which was made by Mr. Amos 
Rice to Mr. Woolworth, on the presentation to the 
latter gentleman of the silver cup, spoken of in the reso¬ 
lutions. 
We have read the address and Mr. Woolworth’s re¬ 
ply, with much pleasure. It is no flattery to say they 
are good, and could we find space for them in our col¬ 
umns, our readers would no doubt be gratified by their 
perusal; but we are compelled to pass them with only 
the following extract from Mr. Woolworth’s speech: 
“Do you ask me if I would make the farmer a learn¬ 
ed man ? I answer, yes, in all that relates to his busi¬ 
ness, and the processes by which it is carried forward. 
In this sense, I would have him learned as the Counsel¬ 
lor is learned in the principles of the Law; the Divine 
in Theology, and the Physician in Anatomy and Mate¬ 
ria Medica. Will his arm lose its vigor because his 
intellect is strong, or his granaries be empty because 
his mind is stored with knowledge ? The contrary ra¬ 
ther. And then, as any human employment becomes 
intellectual, it increases in honor. It becomes appro¬ 
priate to man—-reasoning, thinking man. It loses that 
which is peculiar to the brute, or the slave, and ac¬ 
quires a character which is noble and dignified. In this 
way agriculture is destined to become the most honor¬ 
ed of human pursuits. Such, it is even now rapidly be¬ 
coming. Some of the means by which this change is 
now being wrought have been strikingly presented to 
you this evening. They have already changed the 
reproach of ‘ Book Farming 5 into an honor.” 
“Looking forward to the prospects before us, we are 
cheered by auspicious omens. Men of strong arms and 
stout hearts, and clear heads, are united in this great 
work. No division of sects and parties distract their 
counsels, and paralize their efforts. The spirit of the 
age is the spirit of peace—most congenial to the skil¬ 
ful cultivation of the earth. When the dark clouds of 
war frown over our beloved country,and threaten to de¬ 
luge her fair fields in the blood of their cultivators, our 
hope is in such influences as the acts you cultivate exert. 
They will check the impetuosity of ambition, and 
change the fierce spirit of war to the quietness of 
peace.” 
