140 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



with a brush-harrow, and then follow it with the drag ; and, 

 if the surface is a little rough, it is easy to load it with stone 

 or any thing else, and it will leave the surface as smooth as 

 if done by a roller. It is wonderful, if the land is mellow 

 and well cultivated, what a smooth and beautiful surface 

 you will get with this common drag. Mr. Ware puts a little 

 cleat on the bottom, one inch by three inches. He claims 

 that the advantage of this is, that it fills up the depressions 

 made by the horse's feet in travelling over the mellow surface 

 of the land ; and I think it would have that effect, 



I would like to say a word, before closing, in regard 

 to the time of cutting our grasses. As I stated before, we 

 have now adopted the practice pretty generally, over the 

 State, of cutting our grasses at least two weeks earlier than 

 was the custom twenty or twenty-five years ago. I think we 

 have gained that much, although it is possible that grass may 

 be cut too early. The time to cut grass, every one will 

 admit, is when it contains the most nourishmetit. No doubt 

 about that. When is that point ? What is it that nourishes 

 the animal ? It is certainly not woody fibre. That may 

 serve to give bulk ; and, if you add sufficient concentrated 

 food in the shape of meal or grain of some kind, an animal 

 may get along on over-ripe and over-dried hay. But, if you 

 judge from the taste and instinct of the animal, you cannot 

 resist the conclusion that early-cut hay, or dried grass, is far 

 more palatable, more to the taste, than late-cut ; and, if that 

 is taken as any sure guide, we must conclude that the early-cut 

 grass has a larger proportion of soluble, nutritive constituents 

 than grass after it has been allowed to form seed. Now, 

 if you observe the grasses in pastures, you see that cattle 

 invariably leave such as run up and form flower-stalks, and 

 choose the low, tender, leafy plants, the most succulent, juicy ; 

 and we must conclude that such grasses are sweeter, contain 

 more sugar, starch, and other elements that suit the taste 

 and go most readily to nourish the system, because more 

 soluble. I don't see how we can resist the conclusion that 

 the tender, immature grass-blade, with its young, fresh leaves, 

 is more nourishing than the flower-stalk, even with its seed 

 formed, and well advanced toward maturity. You may find 

 the same elements in the green grass that you will after- 

 wards find in the ripened seed. They leave the young blade, 



