MAKING HAY. 389 



It is questionable whether very high manuring really gives more 

 nutritious fodder than can be got from soil of good fertility. 



" Method of Curing. All methods and appliances which di- 

 minish the amount of handling which the hay must receive, es- 

 pecially when it is nearly dry, tend to improve the quality of the 

 product by avoiding mechanical losses. So, too, it is desirable 

 to dry the grass as little as is consistent with the object of curing, 

 sufficient to ensure the keeping of the fodder, since the dryer 

 and more brittle it becomes the greater is the loss by handling. 

 In the process of ' ensilage' these losses are largely avoided, 

 but the process of fermentation causes a loss. Recent results 

 obtained at the New York Experiment Station, and at Hough- 

 ton Farm, seem to show that corn-ensilage suffers very little 

 loss from fermentation. 



" Damage by Rain. Both analysis and digestion experiments 

 confirm the common observation that hay which has been wet is 

 diminished in value. 



" Early or Late Cutting. Young plants while rapidly grow- 

 ing contain relatively more protein and less fibre than more ma- 

 ture ones, consequently early cut fodder must be of better quality 

 than that cut late. It is more digestible. 



" Three elements enter into the problem of selecting the best 

 time for cutting, viz: the quality of the fodder, its quantity, 

 and the amount of labor expended upon it. While any grass is 

 ripening a large part of the protein and starch passes from the 

 leaves and stem to the seeds, which are so small that they are 

 seldom masticated or digested. Moreover, they are easily lost in 

 curing. The hay made from fully ripe grass is essentially straw. 



" If only one crop is to be obtained, probably the best time for 

 cutting is usually when the plants are just beginning to blossom. 

 At this time a larger crop is obtained than if cut earlier, while 

 the digestibility is not seriously impaired. 

 37 



