74 HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



(e) SALT HAYS AND MEADOW OR SWALE 



HAY. 



A. — Digestibility. 



B. — How to feed them. 



Summary of Results. 



(a) Black grass, high-grown salt hay, branch grass and 

 low meadow fox grass are all valuable fodder articles. In 

 the present experiment black grass contained more protein 

 and showed a higher average digestibility, and is therefore 

 superior to the other three hays. There is no wide differ- 

 ence, however. Timothy hay shows more total digestible 

 organic matter, but is noticeably inferior to three of the 

 salt hays in digestible protein. Black grass might be classed 

 as but little inferior to average timothy hay. High-grown 

 salt hay, branch grass and fox grass resemble each other 

 very closely in feeding value. 



(b) Salt hays at average market prices are decidedly 

 cheaper to feed than English hay. 



(c) Meadow or swale hay is a very inferior article. It 

 contained 150 to 200 pounds less digestible matter than 

 did the salt hays, and but 39 per cent, of digestible dry 

 matter. 



(d) Hays containing much less than 50 per cent, of di- 

 gestible dry matter should be regarded as of very inferior 

 'quality. 



A. — Digestibility. 

 At the request of the experiment station, farmers in the 

 vicinity of Newburyport sent four samples of salt hay. It 

 was the intention of the writer to analyze these hays and test 

 their comparative digestibilities. The hays were named as 

 follows : — 



1. Black grass (fine, and of dark color; consisted almost 

 exclusively of Jiincus hulbosiis) . 



2. High-grown salt hay. 



3. Branch grass. 



4. Low meadow fox grass. 



