| Show RICH HAY CROPS IN SWISS ALPS well repay hazardous task of gathering in tile he swiss alpine regions where a mans wealth like that ot of the patriarchs of old Is Inea measured by the number of ills his cattle and tile the produce derived from them the first essential Is a supply of liay bay winter tarries long in the mount mountains and the carefully housed cattle have to be fed upon tile the yield of tile the summer meadows haymaking flay makIng begins in july and continues without a break if the weather is favorable until september the meadows in the valley are first cut and the hay Is stored in tile lie barns built over the cattle stables and in tile the numerous dark brown blockhouses which are scattered here and there so that to a casual visitor the countryside may seem more densely populated than it Is actually after the glory of this fertile pasture land has fallen before the scythe conics comes tile the turn of the less productive fields and finally at tile the end of august the cheerful hand band of mowers and haymaking women wend their way to still higher altitudes audes tudes reaching up to some or feet above sea level these loftily situated pastures are frequently watered by tiny fertile glacier streams anig and the herbs and grasses which grow here are particularly ticul arly nourishing and fragrant but so short that it Is very difficult to cut them and still more difficult to transport them after they have been dried haymaking Ilay makIng extends to dizzier heights still and many a tenderfoot of the lowlands has probably had bad the privilege of observing one of those daring haymakers hay makers from some comfortable vantage point farbelow far below A long anticipated and joyful event is tile he ilay hay sunday festival which marks the height of summer life on oil tile the mountain pastures first there Is an impressive service in the church or chapel of the vicinity where praise Is fervently offered to the creator for all his bounties and after this the herdsmen with their families rallies fa and friends enjoy some of 0 their favorite pastimes singing bodling log ing wrestling and dancing harmless har pleasures the memories of which help however to lessen the burden of n many it toilsome day |
