HAY IN THE MAKING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 701, 29 December 1909, Page 8

HAY IN THE MAKING.

;-', One ■■cannot"insist -'too ) .■much.' on'■ the cutting-the i.iay. 5,; In 'the; doubtful weather ;of the last fett" days ■; thoTe shag] no/doubt been a; 'with:.a Mturtt;;of-/:mor6 v Vwttledv'conditions\.it" , .is think ;of:':whatvmay;vbe .lost'; if tho: hay ■:gets '. over-ripe.; /.The; mistake.' 6f TCgardingv'a ~ton rpfv-hay ;:'ns : 'having ~.a ton'V;in v feeding:' Value,;r ; noj; matter' .what itsSqualityi.'. :::ne'eds ; !-fgnarding against; i.'Mo.phief points:,of.4m!jbrtance .in. ; /harmakrngV.are.',t6 : out ;:,at;Vttse: right ;stage;.Of/;ripenessf;;to; cure the':' Eiy.-pro: perly, •;.ahd.;'to: make...the ;vJsfaok ; rain,piooV:.':^?-\': 7 i'M'l: ';"■':'■■:- ; h';: ,.'■,■.;. ■;■.",-':• ■.Tho:,right. jStage; for: outting is when ■ihe-VgrossesTarß''ip'-full:'blodia.'-I'and':'iTig-<nir)\ahd -befpre,any: seed.,or.;woody fibre have it .is./better., to cut too early, than' too 'late;;,;.:To;..propqrly. ripen ; the , hay, it needs'- to'.Jbe ..exposed; to tho roji,'/and .n'ntil. the'.sap .has ■ lost. jnst'\tho Tight;':proportion-.of. -its /moisture.-,-; This takes; about-;, two '*} days.-' in; ordinary -.New : Zealand .':'.weath.er'i; ; , with-van :'■: ordinary amountvof ;Hurhing. ; :;;; A;: Jeavjer; xirop ■takes7.lo'nger,;:be(»uM,r,it ;povers'-; itself more ■ o'nV-the: .ground.;;. ; The ..time ;■ taken .Taries,;;with.'-the weather, ;wind-.having ■a "greater, drying 'effect than:isun..r"Cocking?- ; prolongs/the process,;; but; makes bettor>nay;.;- : Kain/.washes.out. nutriment -from: the'/jciit'jhay.v;: •:-;> v'-;:; ; '' : : ;V :->;The 'chief'/essentials;'of /.good.,making and ./good/, stacking are'; really':very.: much allied. ';'/'-iOne.'.-would '■ riot,: for., instance, dry ■ the. hay at, all : if'-it'-could ,be: safely iStacked.'dnd'.preserved :in its - natural 'etate, .(leaving ■but the''question of ensilage).;//.. -The;.; ..grass:, is, more .nutritious.than:the;made.hay. 'The'aim j therefore;",is-to; stop .the.imaking• process ■at'>the :earliest]'safe rriiomerit.;^;On the ; orie': hand;' if ; the hay;, is : over-made', there is'./a/loss,-of ; : 'fragrariceV.;.nntriment, ;: and colour ;' : 'anid.:much.,.of.;,what'.Was digestible /in:-'.;-the;- grass /.becomes'.;; indigestible 'fibre in'" '■-. ,the r.hay,;'• ahS.-Atheref ore;'.■•-'useless ■'•■as ;food :to.Jthe'stock.;; Qti-\thei';ptb,'er, hand, if .the;making/is,riot[carried/'far enough, the .hay/will; Overheat '.in;the stack -and :be;;damag%d;;';-/A;'little /heating is .desirable, : -:as-i;it, improvos/'the :'flavour j -1 the great:aim;;is ;'to l .ariari'ge;''matters.vwith ,en'ch ;'preoisipn'r;that;'/there; iwill ...be .-just ihcMbest/ariiount.' /of,- and , no moroi ",'• /The.;heating ■ from ; iap moisture 'is. : .quitej;'/distinct ifrora-;,the; ..heating; of lain; moisture, i.whioh^causes/mouldiness. perfect; vhay''. srichV, as'..results /whenlit■:;is.;madb;iri;'.cocks,.should come out f 'of I green''iri'S colour ."the ;fanriers ''generally,;:,prefer'i; ; '.'td- Vsee ' -the brown vcolour:.that.; conies., from/.; heating or.'."sweating!" l yln. •■■'■ the .'loosely-made ■■■■ -' ; .;.The 'ii act s . that, <ive't, /grass/keeps.-. qui to good' 'in.ia//silo'almost;seems' to./contradict .spine, of. thfecbrrecty methods'; of haymaking. ;•; -But:;.th'e;explariation is to be :forund;;-inV;th,«.-.;.'pressure:ithat r is..applied io^'',tho'j.silage/.C--The're^w'' : :no:;dotibt .that sUage, -vivhen ;staoked/f iminediatel j : begins the/ oixygenv of Uhe;.air,inside'-.the stack. If/'/there,'; were:rioSpressrire//this oxygen ;Would-;/b^};rene'wadi.-'froni/;6utside,:.and :theyheatirig: ori;:increasing' and ;destrby';the;;~whole/ ; mass.;;;;; ; -The; weight /applied i-prevents ihe'irbnewal,/ of.-the /'oxygen; ;'and : ;thu^^^^^ ; fire,^J\Thai;; ;is'.;.'thevessential;;'difference ; between',- the ;;stackirig; of Jhay /arid 'silage.