Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1875 — Mowing Early. [ARTICLE]

Mowing Early.

When grass is mowed at an early period iu growth much more labor will be required to cure it thoroughly than if the crop were not cut until the blossoms are beginning to fall to the-ground. Nevertheless, the hay made of early-cut grass will make far better fodder; and a given quantity, when fed to stock, will yield more milk, more wool and more flesh, muscle an>fat than the same area of grass if allowed to become fixity ripe before the crop is mowed. On the contrary, ripe and dry’haywith coarse weeds among it will go further in keeping stock alive than hay made of young and tender grass; but the stock thus kept will depreciate amazingly in condition while sunplied with such inferior fodder. If one has a meadow where there is a large quantity of coarse grass and only a few weeds it will be far better in every respect to mow the crop early. In some instances parts of a meadow may lie mowed three times during the season. If one has bog meadows the oftener the herbage can be mowed the sooner the coarse grass and weeds will be ran out—' S. S. Todd, in Practical Farmer.