1 58 On the Alanagement of Hay. April 



proved, by leading out the ftraw to the field, mixing it 

 intimately with the hay immediately after it is cut, and 

 putting the whole into fmall hand-cocks, as foon as it 

 is mixed. It is well known, that when moid and dry 

 bodies are brought into contacl:, the former begin to 

 give out a part of their moilture, which is as greedily 

 abforbed by the latter, and continues to be fo till a ba- 

 lance is eRablillied between them \ or, in other words, 

 till both contain an equal proportion of humidity. Thi.'y 

 is precifely what happens when dry- ftraw is mixed with 

 green herbage. Immediately after they are laid together, 

 the llraw begins to abforb a part of the juices, and con- 

 tinues to do fo as long as the grafs will part with any. 

 In that way, every part of the natural juices is effectual- 

 ly preferved ; and the ftraw, from the abforption of what 

 would otherwife have been, either evaporated by the fun,, 

 or wallred away by the rain, is rendered nearly equal in 

 value to the hay. Where this pra61;ice is followed, and 

 due pains taken in the mixing, very little expofure to 

 the fun or atmofphere is necefTary, and the hay will be 

 fit for putting into the ftack in half the time that is re- 

 quired where no ftraw is ufed. 



In place of leading out the ftraw to the field, it is cuf- 

 tomary, in fome parts of the country, to mix it with the 

 hay in the ftack, by laying alternate ftratums of each, a 

 practice that anfwers pretty well, but is much inferior 

 to that above recommended. It may, however, be very 

 ufeful in unfavourable feafons, and be the means of pre- 

 ferving hay that could not be cured otherwife. 



When ilraw is mixed with grafs for prefent ufe, a 

 quantity fuflicient for feveral days confumption fliould 

 be cut at once, and, after mixing, laid up in pretty large 

 heaps, and allowed to remain in that ftate for a couple 

 of days at leaft ; at the end of which, the ftraw will be 

 found much foftened and impregnated with the juices 

 of the grafs. When a fair trial is given to this practice, 

 feveral advantages will be found to arife from it : The 

 jir/l is, the converfion of a confiderable quantity of ftraw, 

 which would otherwife have been of little value, in- 

 to a wholefome and nourifhing article of food ; the fe- 

 condy that grafs, fo mixed, has not that purgative qua- 

 lity it is known to poflefs in its fimple ftate, and feems 

 to keep the bowels in a medium ftate, preventing alike 



the 



