i Sob. On the Management of Hayl i S^ 



tKcy fhould (land for centuries, have we any reafon t^ 

 fuppofe that the cafe will be ditferent when fait is mixed 

 with hay ? Either in a damp or dry (late, if it is put in- 

 to the flack damp, the fait will very eifecSlually prevent its 

 farther progrefs in drying, with this difagreeable addi- 

 tion, that if wet weather follov/, the fait, by attracting an 

 additional quantity of moifture, will increafe the evil. 



The cafe is not materially different, when fait is' mix- 

 ed with even the driell hay, efpecially in fituations where 

 the climate is moift, and the winters long ; for, if the 

 quantity of fait employed is confiderable, the continual at- 

 traction from the atmofphere during the Winter months, 

 if it does not deflroy it entirely, will at leall have the 

 effedl of rendering it mufty and unpalatable. 



But though we thus difapprove the pradlice of faking 

 hay when it is put into the flack, whether in a moift cr 

 dry ftate, there is every reafon to believe, that it will be 

 highly falutary and ufeful, if applied with judgment :tt 

 a fubfequent period. The beneficial effedls of meadows 

 or marfhes that have been overflowed with fait water, 

 upon the health of flieep and cattle, and the high relilh 

 they have for fuch paflures, are well known ; the prefer- 

 ence given by the animals is ftrong and decided : Is there 

 any reafon to fuppofe that an equal preference would 

 not be given to hay tinged v/ith fait ? 



In bad feafons, when hay has been much injured by 

 the weather, it is not only taflelefs, but difagreeable to 

 the animals in the Spring, who eat it only from neceflity. 

 When that is the cafe, it becomes an objeCl to mix w^ith 

 it any article that can remedy thefe defeCls ; for that 

 purpofe, nothing is better calculated than fait, which, 

 along M'ith its giving the hay an agreeable tafle, has a 

 medicinal effeCl upon the bowels of the animals ; a maN 

 ter at prefent too much ncgle(Sted, v/hile they are feeding 

 upon dry food. The moil proper time for applying th:e 

 falt^ feems to be a day or two before the hay is ufed. At 

 that time, a quantity inlhcient for two ihiys confumption 

 fliould be taken from the flack, and laid either in a Ihed 

 or barn •, a thin llratum fliould firft be fpread upon the 

 floor, and lightly fprinkled with v/ater from the rofe of 

 a watering-pan ; a fniall quantity of fait fhould then be 

 equally fcattered upon it ; after which another flratuih 

 of hay fliould be added; and the fame operations of 



VOL. I. NO. II. U watering 



