340 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



year, and that it excited a discussion whicli continued for 

 several hours, when the whole matter was recommitted, with 

 the names of Messrs. Saltonstall and Ellsworth substituted in 

 the place of Cole and Blair. At the time the Board met at 

 Framingham, December last, Mr. Ellsworth examined some 

 hay, and was invited to write the committee in regard to his 

 opinion on the whole question, that it might be incorporated in 

 this report. We received a line from him a short time ago 

 referring to an address of Mr. Hyde of Lee, read before the 

 Board at Amherst, in 1868, as comprehending his own views. 



This was a very clear, comprehensive and elaborately written 

 document, recommending as the best time to cut herdsgrass 

 and red-top, when it is in full bloom ; and red clover when 

 about half the heads are in blossom. This recommendation is 

 not in accordance with our views, after close and careful experi- 

 ment. The ideas advanced by Mr. Hyde, in regard to the stor- 

 age of hay, we can fully or nearly so concur in. These two 

 items are nearly all the points that touch upon the sub- 

 ject now under consideration. The hay crop is undoubtedly 

 the most important crop to the farmers of Massachusetts. " No 

 hay, no cattle ; no manure, no crop." It is an absolute neces- 

 sity that our domestic animals should have some hay ; some 

 requiring more, some less. By consulting the statistics of 

 Massachusetts for 1865, we find that the value of the hay crop 

 for that year was about $13,195,274. If to this be added the 

 value of grass grown upon our pastures, we find it will exceed 

 all other agricultural products. 



Nature has better adapted some of her soils to the growth of 

 grass than others ; still all our New England soil requires 

 manure to insure a crop ; and just in proportion as we furnish 

 manure, in some form, will the soil send up her crops. No soil 

 can long stand close cropping without some return. Again, 

 we find by statistics that the domestic animals in this country 

 are increasing at a much greater percentage than is the hay 

 crop, showing conclusively that the farmer's higliest interest 

 and first study should be the increase of his hay crop, and the 

 proper time of cutting and best method of curing the same. 



We all agree, as we have intimated above, that to increase our 

 hay crop, we must apply manure in some form, either incor- 

 porated by means of the plough or harrow into the soil, or by 



