Show rime TO GUT ALFALFA one of controlling factors in taking care of hay start mower in morning a soon as dew Is off and prospects seem good for three day of good weather the best time to cut alfalfa Is when nebout one tenth of the blooms are out or if an examination Is made at the base of the new shoots are seen making their appearance many times it Is even practical to cut the first crop a few days earlier especial ly it a large acreage Is to be harvested time Is one of the contrell con troll ing factors in taking care of the bay so it Is necessary for the grower to exer clao judicious planning to utilize ails almo to the best advantage it Is a good plan to start the mower as soon as tho dew Is oft in the morning and the prospects seem good lor two or three days of con linued good weather this hay bould be bedded in the swath in tho afternoon BO that it will dry out un verneath ler neath the side delivery rake is good in fact tho ideal machine to turn the hay beginning on the out fildo of the field the hay Is carried further out leaving an open space which will be heated by the sun before the next roand Is made on turning the next swath the dry hot stubble and coil will quickly draw the moisture from it therefore the hay la curing from below as well as from above the following morning the earno rake Is used as soon as the hay Is dry and to swaths put in one and in the afternoon it is ready to be stacked or hauled into the mow tho following method Is practiced and lends itself admirably to taking care of a hay crop it it Is not too heavy the mower would be run late in the afternoon when not much wilt ing will take place and when the undergrowth Is perfectly dry the advantage of this over the early morn ing is that the soil Is warm and dry and that less surface Is exposed to become wet by dew than when alfalfa Is standing the hay Is turned in the following morning just before noon and will be ready to rake and stack tn the middle of the afternoon an other plan Is to rake in the afternoon and put it up in small cocks turning these over the following day replace ing these two into one and letting them cure tor a few days before blacking it Is of the greatest importance that the bay be absolutely dry from dew before putting it into the barn br stack alfalfa is more difficult to cure properly than the grasses because the leaves fall off so readily and when we consider that cheso make up 48 per cent of the crop by weight their true value Is significant |