206 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



made article at the lowest possible price ; but, judging from the 

 extensive use of the covers last year, in consequence of articles 

 published in agricultural journals in the United States, as well 

 as Canada, it is doubtful whether they will be able lo supply a 

 quarter part of the demand. The article made by them is shown 

 in Fig. 109." 



A farmer of Norfolk says: "I have never used them myself, 

 but they are used in the neighborhood to good advantage. A 

 neighbor of mine who has used them for three years says they 

 have been worth to him this year the whole cost, as with them 

 he has been able to get all his hay in in good order, while a 

 large quantity, where they were not used, was made yearly 

 worthless by the long continued wet weather." ^ 



But on the other hand, a farmer of Middlesex county says : 

 "I have never used hay caps, not having faith enough in them to 

 give them a trial. My objections are, that they cannot be of 

 any use as a permanent shelter, but only in a sudden shower — 

 and then we have no time to put them on. We can save more 

 hay by putting it in cocks and trimming well than by covering 

 with canvas cloth. In fair weather the cap would be decidedly 

 injurious, as it would prevent the escape of vapor or steam. 

 Cocks of hay that are left to stand in the field over the Sabbath 

 are often dried enough in the upper half. But in case caps 

 were put on for Saturday night the drying would not advance 

 on Sunday unless you should make it a business to remove 

 them on Sunday forenoon." 



A permanent structure for covering and protecting hay stacks 

 is described by a farmer of Bristol county as follows : " I have 

 a structiire called a hay cap, which, if farmers have not suf- 

 ficient barn room, I think Tfould be economical, as hay can be 

 more rapidly secured than in the common stack, obviates the 

 necessity of fencing and prevents the hay from becoming wet 

 while the stack is open for feeding. This cap is twelve feet 

 square and consists of two sills fourteen feet in length and 

 eight inches square, four posts five inches square and seventeen 

 feet long framed into the sills one foot from the end of the 

 same. The sills are held together by two girts framed into the 

 post just above the sill. The posts are held firmly by girts 

 placed five feet eight inches above the sills, to which height the 

 box part of the structure is boarded. The posts above the box 



