50 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



surest test of the quality of hay in a man's barn is to look at 

 his cattle, and see the condition they are in. 



Now, I believe not only in giving animals good hay, but good 

 care, grooming them, keeping them well bedded, and feeding 

 them properly. I grain my cows every day in the year, — not 

 much, but a little. They are fleshy and in good condition, 

 and give me a good yield. I believe, too, in draining a good 

 deal of land, if a man can possibly afford it. It would be prof- 

 itable, sometimes, to do what a man cannot really afford, if 

 he only had the means ; but most of us farmers are short of 

 the means to do with. Sometimes we could do better if we 

 had more means. 



I will merely add, that I hold to cutting grass while the dew 

 is off, and ploughing the ground when the dew is on. 



Mr. Phinney. This subject was before the State Board for 

 discussion, and I remember that we gathered a great deal of 

 information from Mr. Johnson at that time. But it seemed to 

 me then, that as the climate of Massachusetts and New Eng- 

 land is variable, we could not easily fix any time, within some 

 two weeks, as the best time for cutting grass. It seems to be 

 generally admitted, that the season in the eastern portion of the 

 State is, some years, two weeks earlier than in the interior, so that 

 it would seem that the individual farmer was the best judge as to 

 the time for cutting his grass. I formed the opinion, from the 

 discussion which took place at that time, that we could come to 

 no conclusion as to whether the first day of July or the fif- 

 teenth of July was the best time for the cutting of grasses. I 

 think Mr. Johnson, at that time, came somewhat to the same 

 conclusion. 



Dr. Loring. 'I think Prof. Chadbourne has made a state- 

 ment which should be considered with a good deal of care. It 

 seems to me that an acre of grass in the hands of a farmer 

 should be made the most of. What he wants is to get as much 

 nutriment from that acre as possible. I have no doubt that 

 herdsgrass can be cut before the head is on it, cured and pre- 

 pared properly, and made into very nutritious hay. But it 

 does seem to me, that every farmer will see in a moment that 

 that is not an economical or profitable process for him to go 

 into. Now, every kind of grass has just so much nutriment in 

 it. You want to get rid of the refuse, the woody fibre, and 



