Show RICH HAY CROPS IN SWISS ALPS well repay hazardous task of gathering in the swiss alpine reg regions lons where a mans wealth like that of the patriarchs of old Is measured by the life number of his cattle and the produce derived from them the first essential Is a supply of hay bay winter tarries long in the mountains and the carefully housed cattle have to be fed upon the yield of the summer meadows Ilay haymaking making begins in july and continues without a break it if the weather Is favorable until september the meadows in the valley are first cut and the hay Is stored in the barns built over the cattle stables and in the numerous dark brown blockhouses which are scattered here bore and there so go that to ft 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 comes the turn of the less productive fields and finally at the end of august the cheerful band of mowers and haymaking women wend their way to still higher SRI altitudes reaching up to some or feet above sea level these loftily situated pastures are frequently quent ly watered by tiny fertile glacier streams 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 extends to dizzier heights still and many a tenderfoot of the lowlands has probably had the privilege of observing one of those daring haymakers hay makers from some soma comfortable vantage point farbelow far below A long iong anticipated and joyful event Is the nay hay sunday festival chich marks the height of summer life on 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 hla his bounties and after this the herdsmen with their families and friends enjoy some of their favorite pastimes singing bodling ing wrestling and dancing harmless pleasures the memories of which help however to lessen the burden of many a toilsome day |