THE HAY-FIELD AND ENGLISH HAY. 195 



farmer would do, so as to obtain a result under similar con- 

 ditions to those of practical farming. "We do not want to 

 have everything perfect. 



Question. Why not put it right into the barn at once ? 



Dr. Sturtevant. I should want the barn insured. 



Question. I would like to inquire what this apparatus 

 was? 



Dr. Sturtevant. Some patented English apparatus. 

 It amounted simply to putting some beams across the stack, 

 attaching chains to them, and then by levers bringing the 

 beams in contact with the material. We do not attach any 

 importance to the compression at all. 



Prof. Alvord. How hot have you found it? 



Dr. Sturtevant. I have never put a thermometer in, 

 but it was so hot I could not bear my fingers in it. 



Question. If it was in a barn, would it set the barn on 

 fire? 



Dr. Sturtevant. No, I really do not think it would; 

 still, I should be a little afraid of it. 



Question. Was the ensilage dried at all ? 



Dr. Sturtevant. No, sir. We cut it and carried it 

 right to the spot. 



Mr. . I once saw a mow of hay in which a spot 



of five or six inches in the centre had burnt to charcoal ; it 

 would black the cattle's noses. I suppose if air could have 

 gotten in there the barn would have been burned. The cat- 

 tle would eat the hay that was burnt to charcoal as readily 

 as any part of it. 



Question. I would like to ask Dr. Sturtevant if he 

 does not believe that those crops are better preserved by the 

 most perfect exclusion of air from them that can be obtained? 



Dr. Sturtevant. The whole principle seems to be the 

 exclusion of air. 



Question. Packed outside in that way is the air so 

 thoroughly excluded as it would be from the same material 

 in a silo? 



Dr. Sturtevant. That is a question I will not answer. 

 As I said, I have not seen that silo opened ; but I think the 

 air is excluded in all essential particulars most thoroughly. 



Question. Is not the air more thoroughly excluded by 



