358 • BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



tendency to increase. This tendency is due in considerable 

 measure to tlie tact that the production of the grass crop 

 involves relatively little labor ; and, in periods of general 

 prosperity especially, it seems to be increasingl}^ difficult 

 for the farmers to secure satisfactory help. Many of them, 

 therefore, are increasing the already large proportion of 

 their farms devoted to grass. 



Our numerous cities and villages, while using consider- 

 al)le hay imported from the west and Canada, furnish good 

 markets for the surplus hay crop in most sections of the 

 State. It does not seem prol)able, therefore, that the rela- 

 tive importance of the grass crop in Massachusetts' agricul- 

 ture will decrease in the near future. 



Our survey of the facts pertaining to the aggregate pro- 

 duction and value, Avhile interesting, does not throw light 

 upon the question as to whether the results now attained by 

 our farmers can be regarded as satisfactory. To determine 

 this point we must know not the aggregates but the returns 

 per acre. The last United States census reports the average 

 product of hay per acre in the entire country to be 1.1 

 tons. The average product in Massachusetts is reported to 

 be exactly the same. Such a })roduct is far below the pos- 

 sibilities, as all good farmers will at once admit. If the 

 average returns from the area devoted to the production of 

 hay in Massachusetts could be increased to the extent of 1 

 ton per acre, the value of our agricultural products would 

 be raised fully $8,000,000 per aimum. Such an increase 

 must mean greatW increased prosperity among our farmers, 

 provided the increase can be produced at a figure materially 

 below its value. That it can be so produced it Avill be my 

 etibrt to show in this article. 



Argument is not needed to convince the better farmers 

 of the State that this is possible, for few of them are satis- 

 fied with crops of less than from 2 to 3 tons per acre, while 

 many of them doubtless make much of their grass land yield 

 annual crops averaging fully 3 tons per acre. Mr. George 

 M. Clark of Higganum, Conn., has in recent years written 

 a great deal concerning the hay croj) and methods of in- 

 creasing it. It may be doubted whether his methods can be 



