i 84 Oh fhe Manage metti of Hay. April 



to the fun and atniofphere for a few hours, put up into 

 ricks of at leail forty or fifty lloncs each, where it may 

 remain with perfecl fafety, till it is convenient to ftack 

 it. By fuch treatment, every valuahle quality is pre- 

 iervcd, the hay is of a fine green colour, and poflefi'es 

 fo agreeable a flavour, that the animals eat it with the 

 greateft relifli. Before {tacking, fome attention will be 

 liecelT'ary, to render the whole as uniformly dry as pof- 

 fible, elpecially if much rain has fallen, and the wind 

 continued for any coutiderable time in one quarter after 

 the hay has been put into ricks ; when that is the cafe, 

 one lide will be found damp, v/hile that vi'hich is ex- 

 pofed to the M'ind is perfectly dry j the remedy confifls 

 in turning the ricks round, which is done with great 

 eafe, by placing fix or eight people, at equal diftances, 

 round the rick, with direftions to thrull their hands as 

 far as they can under the bottom, at the fame time 

 grafping a handful 6f the hay : When the v/hole are 

 rcadv, let them lift at once, and move round in the direc- 

 tion intended, till the damp fide is oppofed to the wind : 

 In that way, ricks of fifty or fixty (tones may be turned 

 with eafe and expedition, and the whole rendered uni- 

 formly dry in a ihort time; 



It has beeii contended by many, that there is no great 

 neceflity for being fo folicitous to have hay thoroughly 

 dry before it is put into the ftack, as it will keep per- 

 fectly well even with a eonfiderable proportion of moif- 

 ture j and, fliould any apprchenfion be entertained to 

 the contrary, all danger will be prevented, by mixing it 

 with lalt •, a pracStice ftrenuoufly recommended by many 

 iuteUigent writers. 



Trials carefully made, and upon a fcale fo extenfive 

 as to occafion very eonfiderable lofs to thole concerned, 

 prove, beyond a doubt, that the addition of fait to damp 

 hay is no prefervative againft its heating •, on the con- 

 trary, if moill weather follow immediately after it is 

 put ipto the Pcaek, the addition of fak, in place of be- 

 ing ufeful, will prove hurtful -, it being a well eftabliflr- 

 ed fa£t, that fait, nnd every thing impregnated there- 

 with, greedily attradts the moifture of the atmofphere, 

 and occafions a degree of dampnefs that would not o- 

 tlierwife have taken place. The experience of perfons 

 who build houfes with lto3ies taken from the bed of the 

 fea, is an undeniable proof of this j as the walls of fuch 

 buildings are always damp and uncomfortable, even if 



thcv 



