THE HAY-FIELD AND ENGLISH HAY. 169 



diflerent suitable fodder substances to secure a diet most 

 efficient at the time. The hay crop furnishes no exception 

 to this rule ; our every-day practice confirms that statement. 



Whenever a high nutritive character of the feed is con- 

 sidered essential for success, — as, for instance, in the dairy 

 business or in case of growing dairy stock, — we add shorts, 

 corn meal, oil cakes, etc., to the hay ration, to secure tjie best 

 results. We have succeeded in making of the hay by these 

 additions a more complete food for some special purpose. 



Taking into consideration, in this connection, that our 

 success in the dairy industry is largely due to the peculiar 

 character and composition of the commercial fodder sub- 

 stances which we have added to the daily hay rations, it 

 seems but a step in the right direction, to attempt, in the 

 interest of economy, a substitution of the hay, in part or in 

 the whole, as circumstances may advise, by some other 

 fodder crop of a similar coarse mechanical condition and a 

 similar chemical composition. 



The cuiTent high market price of a good meadow hay 

 strongly advises that course, in the interest of a desirable 

 increase of our fodder resources and of a lower cost of 

 production of milk and beef. 



In estimating at present the agricultural value of a fodder 

 substance, we consider, — first, its degree of adaptation as a 

 fodder article for special or general purposes ; second, its cur- 

 rent market price ; third, the manurial value of the residue 

 it leaves behind after having served as food. 



Applying this standard of valuation to the meadow hay, 

 and to the growth upon the better class of natural pastures 

 in particular, we have to concede to them a well-earned 

 reputation of a superior degree of adaptation as a suitable 

 fodder for young sind old of our most important kinds of 

 farm live-stock, as cattle, horses and sheep. 



On the other hand, it cannot be denied that the current 

 market price of a good meadow hay seriously affects the 

 cost of production of milk and of beef, when compared 

 with other coarse fodder articles recommended for our trial. 

 The comparative moderate pecuniary value of the manurial 

 residue left when feeding hay does not materially alter the 

 financial results. 



