| Show alfalfa hay how to cure it As many farmers are cutting alfalfa falla falfa for hay who have had no practical experience in curing the same a few word words of instruction fqy not be out of the way in the first place to make good hay the alfalfa should be sown so thick on the ground that its stalks will crowd ca each ch other and thus be forced to grow somewhat spindling A single bunch of alfalfa grown from a seed placed aced in the ground so as to have plenty plent of room to stool will produce large coarse stalks and if allowed to stand and mature its seed these stalks become almost like dry sticks in this condition the hay becomes comparatively of but little value therefore the seed should be sown so thick as to create a pretty even growth all over the ground and to create a pretty strong sod the stalks will then be thin and slender and the leaves will bear a good proportion to the stalks themselves alfalfa should be cut as soon as it has fairly commenced to blossom and should be allowed to remain spread upon the ground as left by the mower only long elou enough gh to wilt it well it should then be e raked into and allowed to remain in this condition only long enough to guald against beatin heating when put into the cock it should then bo be put into the cock and dried so as to prevent heating and mil dewing wilen in the stack or mow and no more when packed in the stack or mow it should be sprinkled with salt sait pretty freely say two or three pounds to a ton alfalfa hay cured in this way is among the tiie most valuable varieties ot hay we have havo for horses cattle or sheep those who have fed their working t teams eams upon it have found it to be fu fully ily lly as nutritious as the best of oat hay h ay when horses have become accustomed to eating it they will prefer it to all other kinds for cows good alfalfa hay is next to tb green grass in value and sheep will eat it when they would leave oat or barley hay our own experience in feeding feedings stock of all kinds has been considerable and we do not hesitate to pronounce good alfalfa lay hay more hearty a and ud nutritious than the other varieties of hay now in this state while we make this a assertion artion we are fully aware that there here t are those whose experience has been equally as great as is our own who differ with us the reason of f this diffie difference rence arises more fr from om the manner of curing and handlin handling the hay than from any other circumstance if allowed to bo be dried in the sun as spread out on the ground by the reaper the stalk not only becomes dry and brittle and loses much of the gluten and saccharine matter that it naturally contains but the leaf also almost entirely drops of neven leven while handling bandling its sufficient to transfer it into the barn if then it is handled over to bale an i send it to market there is nothing but dry sticks left and it is justly condemned the the great secret in making good alfalfa hay is in the time of cutting and manner of curin curing sacramento record becard |
