MANAGEMENT OF MEADOWS AND PASTURES. 99 



as the standard of comparison. One of the lots should be fed on 

 timothy for three weeks, the other on Kentucky grass — the weight 

 of the milk of each cow and the richness of the cream, as indi- 

 cated by a lactometer, should be carefully ascertained and re- 

 corded ; during the next period of three weeks the food of the lots 

 should be reversed, the first lot being fed on Kentucky blue 

 grass, and the second on timothy — the weight and richness of the 

 milk being noted as before. During the third period of three 

 weeks the food should be again reversed as in the first trial, and 

 during the fourth period the food should be as in the second trial. 

 The weight and richness of the milk yielded by each kind of hay 

 would thus be indicated in terms which would be perfectly reli- 

 able, and the relative values of the two kinds could be accurately 

 expressed in dollars and cents. In trying the values of the differ- 

 ent grasses for fattening purposes, the same method should be 

 adopted, except that the weight of the cattle should be taken at 

 the commencement and at the end of each period of three weeks. 

 Systematic attempts should forthwith be instituted to determine 

 the question. If twenty farmers should each undertake to de- 

 termine the comparative value of timothy and some other grasses, 

 no one would be greatly burthened, and information of incalcu- 

 lable value to the whole agricultural community would be elicited. 



5th — The meadows on a farm should be so arranged as to come 

 successively to maturity. There is always a sudden augmentation, 

 of the demand for labor when the season of haying and harvesting 

 comes on, without a corresponding augmentation of the supply. 

 This state of things greatly enhances the cost of securing the 

 crops, and causes much haste and carelessness which would not 

 otherwise take place. The increased number of hands, greatly 

 increases the labors of the farmer's wife and daughters, indeed, 

 many a broken down female constitution traces its origin to the 

 extra labor of haying and harvesting. 



We have seen too that the grasses must be cut when in the 

 flower if we would obtain their maximum value, every day that 

 they are left standing after this, diminishes their nutritive matter. 

 It follows from this that much of the grass on the meadows of 

 large farmers who are restricted to one or two kinds, must suffer 

 great loss from want of labor to cut it in its best condition. 



To prevent these sources of waste and inconvenience, the grass 

 lands on the farm should be divided, and stocked with grasses 



