122 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



it ? How would you like it, if your wife did not salt your food 

 for a week, and Sunday morning should set before you a teacupful 

 of salt to make amends for dereliction during the week ? Then 

 why practice it upon your cattle ? Give them salt in their food. 



When I was twenty-two years old, I managed a noble farm in 

 Winthrop, for an old sea captain. He let me boss it until it came 

 to haying time, and then took command himself. But he would 

 get in his hay not half made ; sometimes not more than one-third 

 made. I told him that his hay-mow would take fire and burn up. 

 " Oh, no, laddie," said he. " We at Nantucket, used to know 

 how to cure hay. We owned meadows out four or five miles, and 

 would take our teams in the morning and go out and mow our 

 grass, take it home, salt it well, and it always kept good. This 

 hay, also, will keep good." I know that ha}^ came out green. 

 The clover was as bright as when mown, and there was no mould, 

 no rot, no must, no sweat, no steam, no bad taste in that hay ; his 

 cattle thrived on it. But he put in too much salt, about a peck to 

 a ton, and in conseqnence, his cattle were relaxed all winter. I 

 would put in about four quarts to the ton. That is about what 

 cattle require. K a cow eats a ton and a half of hay during the 

 winter, she eats six quarts of salt, which is about the required 

 quantity. 



Now, how would I put that in ? If I had a lot cf liay in the 

 morning that was not half made, and there was a storm coming, I 

 would put it into my barn, and throw in six quarts of salt to the 

 ton, and if I thought more was required, I would put in a peck. 

 But when I had a chance to make my haj'^ well, I would make it 

 well, and put it on top of this green hay, and let it absorb the 

 moisture from the salted hay beneath, and have it equalized all 

 through tlie mow, even to the top. 



I remember on one occasion I had eight loads of hay out one 

 morning, and had tidings that there was to be a storm the next 

 day. I said, " Boys, that hay must come in !" " Why," said the 

 boys, " it won't do to get that hay in to-day, it isn't half made." 

 "Half made or not, that hay must come in. It has got a little 

 sweaty ; break it up and let the air in, and then house it." We 

 got in seven loads that afternoon, and salted it well. The load we 

 did not get in lies in that field to-day. I saved seven loads of 

 good hay by the application of salt. I should not have dared to 

 get it in without applying salt. 



I would not put four quarts of salt to the ton of English hay, if 



