Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1877 — The Time to Cut Grass. [ARTICLE]

The Time to Cut Grass.

The proper time to cut grass for hay is a matter of some dispute, though the weight of testimony is in favor of early cutting. As an old writer on agriculture has wittily said, “grass should be cut while it is grass, and not after it has become hay.” The flavor or richness of the grass passes away as soon as the stalk becomes dry, tough and fibrous and evidently muoh nourishment is lost, as well as the fragrance which gives it relish by leaving it standing too long. Farmers as a rule do not attach that importance to the hay crop which its real value demands, and are apt to consider the exact time of harvesting it as a matter of no great consequence. But when it is considered that it is the crop that furnishes the largest share of food for both horses and cattle during at least one half of the year, it will be admitted that it is of value enough to warrant the best care in cutting and curing. If it is cut at the right time a very few hours of sunshine will fit it for the mow or stack. It is better to be put up a little damp than to have all its moisture dried out in the sun. It should be put away in such a condition as to show green and bright when fed out in the winter. Jt is then eaten with the greatest relish and yields the largest amount of nourish meat .-Indiana Farmer.