SECRETARY'S REPORT. 211 



but have no doubt that the crop of grass would be better the 

 next season, not to feed them. Some think the injury not so 

 great as the vahie of the feed of the after-growth." 



A practical farmer of Franklin county says : " I have had 

 considerable experience in both ways, and do not think fall 

 feeding is any injury if it is not fed too close ; prefer feeding 

 to mowing the second crop, and prefer feeding with sheep tlian 

 cattle." And another : " The feeding of dry mowing injures 

 it by causing it to run out, leaving the roots exposed to the 

 winter, while moist land is injured by the cattle's feet much 

 more than the value of the feed, in both cases taking all off 

 and leaving nothing to renovate the land another season." 



An experienced farmer in the same county, and one of the 

 best grazing towns in the State, says : " It is now more than 

 twenty years since I have allowed any kind of domestic animal 

 to feed upon our mown lands, and my opinion previously has 

 been fully confirmed by my experience. It is a decided benefit 

 to let the after-growth remain upon the land ; it is a protection 

 from summer's drought and winter's cold. Some of my neigh- 

 bor's are following my example." And another: " I sometimes 

 feed off my after-grass. "When I do feed it off, I take good care 

 to feed it early and leave a good growth to protect the roots of 

 the grass from frost in winter. I think it an injury to feed ; 

 mowings will last longer not to be fed at all, and the land when 

 broken up will produce a better crop of corn or potatoes than 

 if fed." 



From these extracts it will appear that the practice of fall- 

 feeding is very general, while the good judgment of practical 

 farmers almost unanimously condemns it as injurious, especially 

 to feed closely and late in the season. The reasons assigned 

 for the practice are chiefly, the necessity generally felt for feed 

 at that season of the year, and the importance, in some situa- 

 tions — particularly on interval lands — of removing all protec- 

 tion for the mice, which frequently prove very destructive to the 

 roots when buried with the snow in winter. All condemn 

 the practice of too close feeding, under all circumstances. 



The fall growth collects the elements of a thrifty growth in 

 the following spring. These are stored up in the roots over 

 winter for the" early use of the plant. If it is closely fed, the 

 spring growth must be proportionably later and feebler. 



