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Show Hay Making Now Modem Science Cming in Windrow Saves Labor Required for Cocking. Kven in having, the world keeps moving and one might as well keep with it, is the opinion of 11. 15. Hnrt-wig Hnrt-wig of the Now York State College of Agriculture, who says that there is no need for the present-day farmer to make hay the way his grandfather did. Many successful farmers nave found "that to cure hay in the windrow wind-row saves from 10 to -40 per cent of the labor required by cocking. This saving makes it possible to get more hay in between rains. Swath-curing clover or alfalfa sacrifices too many leaves and bleaches the hay too much. Method of Hay Making. Professor Hartwig recommends the following method of hay-making. Cut only after the dew or rain is off. Hay dries more quickly while standing, and molds that make hay dusty do not get started. Allow the hay to wilt in the swath but do not allow wilting to continue con-tinue until raking will knock off the leaves. One-half hour to two hours of bright sunshine should be plenty. Next put it in a loose windrow with a side-delivery rake. The better side-delivery side-delivery rake Is the left-hand type, because when driven (after the first round) in the same direction in which the mower goes, the largest number of stems are turned out and the most leaves turned in where they will not dry too rapidly and shatter off. Remember Re-member that the leaves carry about CO per cent of the protein. The right-hand right-hand rake may be used if the hay Is cut in lands. Begin at the middle with the right-hand rake and work in a direction opposite to the course of the mower. Give Half-Turn. When the hay in the upper portion of the windrow is cured, give the windrow a half-turn with the outer end of the side delivery rake, so as to bring up for curing that portion which was near the ground. In case of rains repeat .this procedure as often as is necessary. Avoid the tedder ted-der to save leaves. The hay loader may be used to take the hay up when it is well cured. Be sure that the hay carries no moisture in the form of rain or dew. Such moisture may cause spontaneous combustion. |