WATER IN AGRICULTURE. 163 



more tenaciously, and requires a greater expendi- 

 ture of force for its removal. How many tons of 

 water are raised upon the forks, by farmers during 

 the haying season ? Grass properly cured has lost 

 half its weight from evaporation, and in the driest 

 hay there remains quite fifteen per cent, of water. 

 Therefore, we stow it upon our mows, and handle 

 it during the cold dry months of winter. The 

 roots and tubers stored in our cellars during the 

 autumn months are but little better than pure 

 water stiffened with a small quantity of starch, 

 albumen, and sugar. If all the fruits and vegeta- 

 bles, so magnificent in quality, and abundant in 

 quantity, which are collected and arranged for an 

 Agricultural Exhibition, were thrown together and 

 placed under a huge hydraulic press, the water 

 held in the juices would float a small yacht, while 

 the pomace could be placed in a large sized mar- 

 ket basket. With an ordinary cider press we ex- 

 tract but about half of the liquid which the apple 

 contains. 



Among all the products of the farm there is 

 nothing so interesting or wonderful as milk. ^Not- 

 withstanding all that has been written regarding 

 its chemical and physical properties, it is but imper- 

 fectly understood by those most directly interested 

 in its production. That there is a want of knowl- 

 edge of its properties even among intelligent men 



