GREEN FORAGE AND HAY CROPS 103 



Marsh Hay. Along the coast of the New England States there 

 are extensive acres of salt marshes that furnish considerable quanti- 

 ties of hay for stock feeding. The marshes are cut at low tide, 

 generally at a time when the grasses are in bloom. The yield of 

 cured hay secured varies from one-half to one ton to the acre. The 

 hay from these tide marshes contains about 6 per cent protein, 2 

 per cent fat, and 30 per cent fiber; its digestibility does not differ 

 greatly from that of common hay. Throughout the country there 

 are also large stretches of marshes that are cut for hay, especially 

 in dry seasons. The composition and general value of such marsh 

 hay are similar to those of salt marsh hay ; the better kinds of these 

 grasses make a fair quality of rough feed, of a similar value as 

 cornstalks. 



Market Hay. The growing of hay for the market is an im- 

 portant industry, especially in the northeast and western States. It 

 is estimated that about one-fifth of the 1908 hay crop in- this 

 country, or over 15,000,000 tons, was removed from the farms and 

 sold on the local market or shipped to city hay markets. Hay 

 markets supervised by an organization of hay dealers are established 

 in a number of our larger cities which provide for official inspection 

 of the hay sold, and for standard quotations and methods of weigh- 

 ing. 15 These markets recognize five grades of hay, viz., the stand- 

 ard grades : Choice, No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, and " No-grade " 

 hay. The following kinds of hay are quoted and sold on these 

 markets: Timothy, clover-mixed, prairie, midland, packing hay, 

 and alfalfa. 16 



The percentages of different grades of timothy on the market 

 are about as follows, according to McClure: Choice, 10 per cent, 

 and No. 1, 20 to 30 per cent, leaving 60 to 70 per cent of all market 

 hay to grade as No. 2, No. 3, or " No-grade." When shipped to the 

 market the hay is put up in bales of different dimensions. The 

 statement given below shows the sizes of standard hay bales in 

 common use. 



Standard Sizes of Hay Bales 



Dimensions 



Small bales {l6Xllxl} 



Middle-sized bales {l8 X22 X36J 100-150 



Large-sized bales 22 X 28 X 46 150-250 



"Farmers' Bulletin 508; Vermont Bulletin 171. 



16 The requirements for market hay of the different grades are given in 

 Farmers' Bulletin 508 j see also Woll, Handbook, p. 406 a and &. 



