ROOT CROPS AND HAYMAKING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14566, 31 December 1910, Page 10

ROOT CROPS AND HAYMAKING.

BY W.S.

To bo without hay and roots during the winter months leaves a deplorable gap in She store of food for wintering stock. Mangolds and turnips in many instances have been sown over again,'but even after tho second sowing there is still a very poor plant. Tho season is getting rather far advanced to resow mangolds; even if a good germination is procured, tho period of growth will be comparatively short, so a good crop cannot' bo cxpecfc&d. Turnips may be sown from now until tho middle of February, and will come in for late winter and early spring, but, owing to the dry spring, the tightest pinch may be felt in the months of April and May, so some provision should bo> made to carry the stock on until the root crops are fit to feed; otherwise the roots may have to be fed before they are matured. This will mean trouble later on. If some quick-growing fodder crop, fiich as oats, rye, or Cape barley, wen; sown now this would carry tho stock on over the critical time and allow the roots to. be saved until they are matured, ami more feeding value will be obtained. WINTER FEE.O. The farmer should take -in- v<\--iik>« into consideration and decide wlu.i'ji.v ; n the absence of mangolds, early tarni-;-' nay, »tc., which are more or low (. ;y.>u:,:. ■ >-;.ive failure in most, parts, he can «r »,:■■ -jsrully carry his stock through the winter without making special provision in some way. Where there is a thin strike of turnips, considered too good to cultivate out, tho land may be cross-drilled with turnips, rape, or oats. The two last- named will como away quicker and give- valuable feed when it will bo very much needed for topping of . lambs, etc. CUTTING THE HAT CROP. The best time to cut, so as to ostein the best quality of hay, and at the same time get the largest bulk, is just when the grass and clovers are in full bloom. If cut before this the quality will be good, but the yield considerably less, as T-ho crop will not bo fully developed, so will noi yield so much per acre, li let go too far titer this stage there may be a higher yield, but the quality will not be so good, and the stock will not do so well, there being a greater -percentage if strong fibrous matter, which is bard to digest: so what will be gained in weight will be lost in quality. Hay should not be left too long after it is . mown before it is put together. If exit on a hot, dry day and the situation favourable, it may be raked into windrows and put into small cocks the next day. Then in a few days these small cocks may be put into one, thus making a good-sized cock, where it can remain, if properly done, for another fewdays. By this time it Trill bo ready to be carted to the stack. By putting it together soon after it is mown, the hay will retain its green colour, the highest flavour will be maintained, and it will be more palatable to stock iban if left too long exposed to the weather for several days, which in often the case. Many think by leaving the hav in the swarth, or windrows, they are saving labour. This may be so, but "the hav will not be so valuable: so what is saved in labour will be lost in quality. CABTIXG AND STACKING HAT.

The ways and means of saving and conreyin.sf hay from tfco !,1 d to the stack are many, a good deal depending upon the na- : . tr 1 3 , 0 ;. tne> country and the position in .v.- ■ which it is placed. The old method of cartv ing it in in drays, except wlwre the hay is to be stacked some distance from the field ;; Where it is grown, is seldom practised in '■tiiew days of -more modern agriculture, uni -- .ess on small farms, where the area is in::c; sufficient to warrant the expense of dif- - ' fOTent implements required for the wort. • vN here there is a largo area to deal with the drav 13 considered to bo too daw and :.<?• laborious, so - other methods aro brought : : into u«e. Marty follow the old method o-l W aW i n ? J t^lo kay in with a rope. Providing ££; ?? field is level and the hay well cockeo. RV. this way is fairly effective. A rap© with a &: «o°P at each end is all that is required the ' rope being iimywn round the cock and the . horse yoked to it and pulled to tho stack, /where it is oitlier forked direct to the staok •- \. or forked into elevators, which carry it to ■ffl' : the middle of tbo stack. f;.";' ; the bat sweep. ' Ono of the best, if not the best, mr-iJis t ? Of drawing hay to the stack is done with :y hay sweeps, worked by two ho-ises. These : :'T VP*?? consist of a frame 12fl; wide and' ... Htf hiTfl, with a small swinging gate at)is': tach end. At tho bottom of this frame are I i. -. tepered spars, sft long, which are bolted in ] Hso middle to tho frame, thus allowing an S'i distance on either side of rb.e frame. : This in accessary, so that the sweep may be ■ f l' worked either way. A horse is yoked to 'j , each of the swinging gates with a 12ft Icoupling to allow a horse to walk on each %- side of the cocks or windrows. As the : . -horses are driven along the spars vrill slide iA' under the cocks, the frame preventing the hay frrm falling over. It is partly carried . and partly pushed to fcho swek, wlieire ther« ...is either a hay-lifter or a set of elevators ; c: worked by . steam or horso-power, fcho latter . being most . convenient and economical, as 1 ono hpr4o Will easily work the horse-power. , When the elevators or lift is reached tho V; horses axe uncoupled and led round in the it-' opposite direction, and as the sween is drawn away the load will be left at" the f.y mcufch of the elevawr and be forked on by 'two men. Large stacks can be built in .this manner -without any high forking, yo it is much quicker than carting in. with i: drayg. • lAs the stack increnses in height the eleva>. -f.v tors are raised, and the hay falls into the , middle of the stack, where it is dealt with . . by the stacker and bin .iwiatant. - If competent hands are employed a vast amount of hay can be put together each day in this v&y. SALTING THE ST ACT. y When stacking hay it is a good plan to add a. little salt;. it is usually sprinkled over the staok at intervals. The addition of salt not only makes hay more palatable, but is more healthy for stock, and helps :in a measure to prevent over-heating by keeping flown the temperature. Many "prefer to apply the salt in a liquid- state. When, this .. is clone a half-tank .is generally used, the ; salt hein« put into the. tank, then filled with < water and stirred until dissolved. The quantity varies according to opinion, but it is generally considered about one per cent, of salt is sufficient. When applied to hay in a ( liquid form it is usually • nut on with a watering-can. This method, however, is 1 ' not advised, unless the hay is very dry and inclined to be coarse. As hay with an ordin- i ary amount of sap will contain quite sufficient moisture to dissolve tho salt it is bet- ! - ler _ pu", on dry. If salt is applied to straw white being stacked- it is best mixed with ■water, for if put on dry there will not be enough sap present to dissolve the salt, a large percentage will fall through the straw, and be found in quantities o.n the ground after fcho stack has been removed, a good deal of the salt being lost. Judicious use of molasses > diluted with water and applied to straw will also be foun3 profitable practice, as it renders straw more palatable to btock. Oat straw with a little of this liquid sprinkled over it is relished by most stock, and will be found a valuable addition to the diet-, especially for wintering dairy cattle, as it makes a fairly good substitute for! hay.