38 Changes which take place in the Field 



ceeds with rapidity, the percentage of moisture soon sinks 

 sufficiently low to prevent altogether, or greatly to retard, fermen- 

 tation. The hay remains sweet, and shows far less tendency to 

 heat in the stack, even if it actually contains more moisture than 

 hay made in unfavourable weather. The more quickly the hay 

 can be made in the field, and the less it gets bruised or loses 

 colour there, the less likely it is to heat in the stack. However, 

 much hay is injured when it is quickly made and in a fine 

 season ; it looks to be ready before it is so. 



If dried ever so much or ever so carefully in the field, hay 

 nevertheless heats to some extent in the stack. A slight fermen- 

 tation, so far from being injurious, may be useful, for, as is well 

 known, peculiar aromatic principles are thus generated, which 

 certainly renders hay more palatable, and, it may be, more 

 nutritious. As long as the green colour is retained, there is no 

 danger of the hay losing in quality, but if the heat in the stack 

 becomes so intense and continuous as to turn the hay decidedly 

 brown, I have no hesitation in saying that considerable loss in 

 feeding matter is incurred. 



Some feeders of stock prefer brown hay to green, and it cannot 

 be denied that the former often has a more aromatic smell and a 

 more savoury taste than the latter. Although brown hay is much 

 relished by stock, I do not think it desirable to put up hay so 

 wet that it will afterwards turn brown in the stack ; for, as I shall 

 show presently, the sugar which is wasted when hay heats and 

 turns brown in the stack, appears to me of greater value than 

 the aromatic savoury substances which are generated by that 

 process. 



Some years ago I had an opportunity of examining brown hay 

 which had a peculiarly aromatic, quite fruity flavour. It tasted 

 decidedly acid, and contained scarcely any sugar, but a good 

 deal of mucilage, soluble brown humus-like compounds, with 

 but a small proportion of soluble albuminous matters. On 

 further examination I found the acid in the hay to be acetic acid. 

 The hay was very brittle, dark brown, and an analysis gave the 

 following results : — ', 



Composition of Brown Strongly-fermented Hay. 

 General Compositiun. 



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