FACTS FOR FARMERS.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 89, 23 November 1872, Page 3

FACTS FOR FARMERS.

H 0 \V T,() M A K t: fi It A K S IT A I. An agricultural gentli-nMin, of mure than ordinary intelligence, and whose theory ami practices arc worthy ul' respect, says that Tor thirty years hi: tried gathering grass while in blossom, and ill various fiub-icquenl si ages of growth, and lie invariably found that ho got as. much in bulk by the earlv (is by the later cuttings, while the quality of 'Jhe former was greatly superior, as shown by its eil'eet on stock. It made more bone, more butter, cheese, beef', veal. I'llt t.o the end t hat haymaking may be finished before the grass is badly injured- by stumling too long, lie would start the mower a day or two before "the ]Tcriod of full blooni. ltut why hurry t!ie work '■ lieeaiHe, if you do not, the last will lit.- spoiled by too late rutting. The sugar, starch, and <;um, abounding in early-cut, liny, will be changed into' woody fibre ; the Htudd will' fall out and be lost ; milch of I lie foliage will be wasted in the same way, and tin: stems, and whatever else may remain, will become less nutritious — little better than rye straw. j Again, grass should be dried and housed or stacked as ' fooii fts possible after bcln'ff' etit. The'danger of damage by vain is thus diminished, labour is economized, your haymaking (joe-) on fester ; if you cut the era-is in the morning, and put the hay in the barn the same day, the injurious change of sugar, starch, auil gum into woody fibre ceases as sfoon as the hay is in iniiif, and it better retains its nutritious'qualities. These considerations favour the making of hay iie the bhortest possible time. I lay should not, be made sf> dry as many have supposed. Too much drying causes it. to shed its leaves and its se'eds in the meadow. It. hastens the t ransfonnal .ion of sugar, starch, and gum, all nutritious, into woody fibre, not, nutrition.-;. Krom these caiiies considerable lo»s in food value follows ; and then there is no use in making hay as dry ai tinder ; it will keep us well, even better without. The more hay can be dried by air ai:d less by sun- the better will be its quality. The food value of the grass will be more fully retained in the bay, and less chemical changes, unfavourable to its nulritiveness, will lake place. It is frequent ly said buy should not be made very dry. This is bo! b l:i!.-e and I rue la'.se, should we speali thus of hay net with rain or (lew; lor water on hay caused if to mould in autumn and to .-nii'l'.e ever i.fterwnrd if handled f >r removal <■ r feeding. It is quite otherwise with tha; i-i moist with the natural juice of ti:e grasses. 'I liiinstead of i moulding •the hay. sweats it slightly, diffusing through it a gentle best, cooking it, ,<• ne' might almost riiv, certainly making it tenderer. more e:i -■' ehewed, ami more nut ritious to eat tie, and better love! ' them, than if it had been scorched Iwo or three days in a hot sun. Such is the difference: and to conform our practice to nat urai law, we should exclude water from the hay cow with care and'patient lals ur, but need not J'car to admit a portion of the natural juices, as I hey improve rather than deteriorate the quality of hav. '1 he end ol haymaking for tin; fc ison may be reached in a few tbivs alter the beginning, and haymaking for a dav may generally— not nlwavH, of coiu'.se —end with fourteen'hotirs of a sunrise. Hut How can the' process be so hastened ? Thanks to inventors and manufacturers, brute muscle now does the work once done by human muscle. With a good mower, \ou can cut the grass bet ween sunrise and 10 o'clock, which would hiive required eight men for the same' time— mi.v five or six acres. Art old man of. sixty or seventy, or a siuiirt boy of fifteen or sixteen, may drive. 'What a saving of labour ! No -wonder farmers say they cannot afford to cut. grass with the old scythe. At 11 o'clock, dew.off, and hay pretty well wilted, you can, with a good hay-tedder, one horse, and an old man or a uuimrslcr to drive, throw wind hay has been mowed into the' nir so many times, to fall back light and loose as fealhers on the turf, the wind and air all thetiinc so passing through it, so perinealii'g it., and so absorbing its moisture, thnt if dries almost a< fast, without sun as with, and becomes fit for the barn by three o'clock, or sooner, if the sun be shining, and Ibe air be not; uncommonly moist. This work would have required six strong, active men the same time, and they could not have done il as well. .No wonder that farmers who have ! tried the hay-tedder say it helps them quite as iuuc!i cs-the J mower. Krom three o'clock, or a little earlier, to six, an active bov |

with a. lively horse ami good horse-rake will put the whole into windrows-., and three moro.-or four at most,, with a horse hay-lifter, ivin put all into the lja.ru or on'{.lie alaeii. Damage to hay by culling out of time, ami loss ol'health by men in hay-time, may now const 1 . HOW TO RAISE CELHKY. Seed may be wwn out. of doors, but it is generally mora Amvcnieut to sow it in a box, planed iii a' hot-betl frame, a cold frame, or in a sheltered place out of doors. The box need not be deep, an ordinary fruit ease is quite suitable for the pin-poet 1 . The. soil should he light, extremely rich, and made line by passing through a sieve; it. .should quite filll the box after being gently shaken down ; the surfa'co should be made quite smooth and level, then firmly pressed with a. Hat piece of board, with a nail driven in to hold bv ; a good watering should be given, and left for a. few hours to settle. The seed being sown thinly, it also should be pressed down in the siune way, and covered with half an rtioli of equally tine soil ; the box may then be shaded aud placed where it has to renin n. It will not require any more water for a!day or two, but. should never be allowed to become drv. The seed lakes a' considerable time to germinate tiiidor any rireumstaiKvs. As soon as the young plants appear, .shading mu>t be discontinued, a- it is detrimental to the plants if t hey become drawn, As soon :is the young plants bave attained to an inch in height, they may be transferred to other boxes, or a bed may be prepared for their reception iu u situation where, it can be shaded and sheltered with facility. It nuisi be filled witli soil similar in character to that iu which the seed was sown, it should be quite level oil the edges, and slightly dished to hold water, of which celery plants- require at all times a liberal supply. The young plants should be pricked three inches apart, closely shaded at first, but gradually inured to (lie full influence'of the air, except during.hot sunshine., As soon as ever they have tilled the spiiee allotted to them. they must be transferred to another bed, and placed six inches apart. Thisbed made upon some bard substance such as a smooth gravel path, or slates, or iTcn boards which greatly .facilitates their heinj lilted with balls of soil when they are fit for transplanting into the trcnefies. When transplanting th 6 plants to the last bed', the strongest, should- be selected and placed together at one end, the others gradually decreasing in strength to the other end, so as to ensure a succession. 13y these means vigorous, stocky plants may be obtained, which, being carefully lifted, each with a six-inch cube of earth to its roots, and planted in the trenches, will at once' start into rampant growth, and never feel a check.i n't, . As the peculiar office of man is to govern and defend society that of woniim is.to.spread virtue, affection, and gentleness through it.: she has a direct interest, in softening and humanizing the other sex. Man is too rugged to be even just towards those whom he only loves, but does not respect: be is 100 powerful to be swayfc? by those whom he only respects, but does not love. The empire of woman must be won, not solely through his sense of justice, but by the grace and delicacy. the tenderness and purty, she diffuses through'life; but her rights will neither add dignity to her social influence, nor bring practical security to her domestic station, exceptas they are,found really to promote, the virtue aud happiness Of society. Imparting pleasure is like putting money out at interest ; it benefits both the borrower and lender at once. No one can be really and truly happy unless others sympathise iu and: share, that luappiihesS. ' The'jpurcst, friendship is the most, unselfish in its nature. It will labour, ay, suffer, alone and uncomplaining, to procure the happiness of the beloved one,- "and verily it liatli its reward "—its abundant reward. If there is a foundation of love in the human .heart-, thev purest stream of affection nourished by the living waters Of a fountain arfesecrefc love arid -'tinder recollection of our paternal home. How many hapless wanderers sigh for the bliss of the past, and feel that for them no smiling hopes await ! How matiy are?doomed to travel over the earth; who will never know the joy of thinking that, loving hearts are praying for their return. An American .paper says : —The credit system has been carried to a pretty point in some of the rural uistnets, if -we may judge from the following dialogue, said to lifiA"o recently occurred between a customer and the proprietor: —Ha-ow's trade, square ?" J! "Wall',. cash trade's kinder dull naow, major. JBetsy Nipper has bort' an egg's worth of tea, and got trusted for it till her speckled pullot lays." Ea.u:tis.g.—Never faint when you are alone. Al'wayS sel§ct"s<sme opportunity. The more persons there are about you the more successful will be your trial. Never faint more than once the same evening, as there may be a fallifig-oii in the sympathy oil the second experiment. A woman should not only faint well, but be above siia]iieion. - :Be very- careful, -therefore,-never to risk a faint unless you have some object in view. i v:«In:a- country -newspapbr.appesTS the following passage:— A uUbnier r of (icaths nna-voidablj" postponed,- j