SECRETARY'S REPORT. 143 



• 



the vicinity of Boston and the eastern part of the State, gen- 

 erally, was abundantly supplied, the wet meadows being flooded, 

 and thousands of tons of swale hay ruined, the island of Nan- 

 tucket and some parts of Barnstable and Plymouth counties 

 were suffering severely from drouglit, vegetation being entirely 

 parched up. 



So great is the dependence of the grasses upon heat and 

 moisture combined, that, knowing the results of observations of 

 the thermometer and the rain gauge in any section, during the 

 three growing months of April, May and June, one might pre- 

 dict with great certainty the results of the harvest in that 

 section ; and, on the other hand, the returns of practical farm- 

 ers in different sections of the State, indicate so clearly and 

 uniformly the excess above the average, or the partial failure of 

 the crop, that a meteorological map of the State might bo con- 

 structed from them. 



As might be expected, therefore, from what has already 

 been said, the yield of grass and hay throughout most parts of 

 this State during the past year, has been somewhat above the 

 average, the best judges estimating the excess variously from 

 one-eighth to one-half, and it has, doubtless, in some localities, 

 reached this latter estimate, though the general average was 

 not, probably, over an eighth above that of other years. 



It may be inferred, also, from what lias been said, that the 

 quality was not quite equal to the average, and this was unques- 

 tionably the case, where the excess in quantity was due to the 

 excess of moisture and the rains. 



The remarks of an experienced, practical farmer of Ken- 

 tucky, express very well the general estimate made by our 

 farmers in reply to the second question proposed in the above 

 circular. " Just so far," says he, " as there is shade, is the 

 grass deficient in saccharine and nutritious qualities ; that grass 

 which is most exposed to the sun being best. Woodland pas 

 tures will keep young stock growing and old ones on foot, but 

 will not fatten them. A three-year old Durham will get ' stall 

 fat' in a year on open blue grass." And so a farmer of Hamp- 

 shire county, says : " Grass grown in the shade is lighter and 

 does not contain so much nutriment. Wet seasons increase 

 the weight and bulk of the crop, but the same weight does not 

 contain the amount of nutritive matter of hay raised in a dry 



