CUT THE GRASS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1759, 9 October 1879, Page 4

CUT THE GRASS.

[“ Prairie Farmer.”] Do not wait for the grass or the clover to get ripe before you cut it for hay, Any of the meadow grasses are in their prime for hay, so far as nourishment is concerned, just after they arc out of bloom._ The sap that goes to form the seed is then in its best state of elaboration. Every day the farmer waits afterwards militates against the value of the hay for feeding stock, for the nutriment in the stock goes towards the ripening of the seed, and in grass this is the least valuable. The same rule will apply to clover or any other forage crop, including Indian corn for fodder. Out any forage crop just after the time it has fairly formed its seed heads. For Belling to city consumers it docs not so much matter. Many of them like ripe hay. If they will have it, let them. .. It is their privilege to buy what they like —if they can pay for it. Those who keep themselves posted on the subject of agriculture don’t want ripe hay. Some men who keep baiting stables in cities, like bay dead ripe ; horses do not eat so much of it. In mowing, do not set the sickle bar too close to the ground, especially if it be timothy. An inch stubble is quite close enough. Timothy forms a bulb at the surface of the ground. Close cutting often kills this, and the farmer who does not read is somewhat puzzled to know why his timothy is suddenly killed. It is oftener from close cutting than from freezing out, or any other cause. In curing hay, do not let it get too dry before raking. Bake as soon as the hay will gather well in the rake. Do not let nearly dried hay take rain if it can possibly be avoided. It is cheaper in the end to spread hay from the cock than to let it get wet in the swathe, and especially better to open the cocks rather than let it get wet in the windrow. Clover hay should be simply allowed to get half dry on the ground, and then be cured in high, narrow cooks. Even if, in curing, it browns [some, it is better than to let it become bleached by exposure to the sun. Bleaching causes the leaves to drop. If slightly heated in the cock, the leaves are toughened. Do not salt wet hay with a view of bettering its condition. It will not help a" bit—will injure it rather; that is stock that are starved for the want of salt will eat rotten hay for the sake of the salt, as it comes from the dealer. If hay is rather green from the sap it contains, thoroughly dried salt will take up much of the superabundant moisture, and the quality of the bay will remain intact. In any case we should not give more than eight quarts of salt to the ton. Thus salted it may bo used once a day as a feed, and preferably in the morning. Since it will excite thirst, at about the time the stock are turned out to drink. It is not generally known that hay may be put in a barn much greener than in a stack, and come out all right. The reason of this is that it is kept more perfectly from contact with the air. It will sometimes heat severely. The moisture will stand over the top of the mow, and for the reason that during the process of fermentation, the moisture rises to the surface faster than it can be absorbed by the air in the barn. Whenever this is the case, if the mow gets so hot that a sharpened stake driven deep in the mow, and allowed to remain over night comes out in the morning so hot as to be too warm for the hand, there will be danger of serious mow burning. If only a gentle heat is experienced, the hay will not be injured, Jand although it may be browned somewhat, many good farmers consider it better for this fermentation. The safe rule, however, is to so dry the hay that it will retain its normal green color as hay in the mow or stack so far as possible.