344 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



lingering look at his hay, and a glance at the west, and with a 

 heavy sigh he retires to rest. He will hear the most distant 

 thunder or the first drop of rain upon his roof, and as he hears 

 the drops begin to fall, his feelings can be better imagined than 

 told, but an unhappy night we know. This is only a contrast 

 of comfort, to say nothing of the gain or loss in either case. 



I am convinced that in most parts of New England our Eng- 

 lish hay should be cut and stored, if the weather allow, before 

 the seed has set ; commencing to cut with the mowing machine 

 as soon certainly as the dew is oif, and one hand trimming around 

 the walls, trees, &c. At eleven o'clock commence turning with 

 forks or tedder, and lose no time until twelve M., when by 

 this process it will become wilted. In this way we can begin, 

 if the grass has been properly tedded, to cart into the barn as 

 soon as one o'clock, always taking care to have help enough to 

 finish carting as early as half-past four or five o'clock, after 

 which the dew has fallen and renders hay unfit to be packed. 

 By this process we allow from three to four hours for the out- 

 door curing of our crop. Wc have in many instances packed hay 

 in our barn, not having had more than two hours' sun, and it 

 came out in spring perfectly sweet, and was relished by the 

 cattle next to green grass, and certainly they must be considered 

 good judges of such food. In this way of securing the hay 

 crop, we avoid the danger of having much of it wet and also 

 save in the process of storing it. We are always careful not to 

 put hay into our barn that has any water in it, but never fear the 

 sap if properly packed. When hay is taken from the cart or 

 wagon it should not be rolled off, and then over and over on to 

 the different parts of the mow, but it should be pitched on to 

 the hay mow, and evenly distributed over the mow in even fork- 

 fuls, and each fork full packed and trodden upon. In this way 

 the mow becomes solid and closely packed, which is absolutely 

 necessary for the preservation of the hay, always remembering 

 that the greener the hay is put in the closer it must be packed. 

 In rainy weatlier let tlie hay be trodden upon by the men. Re- 

 member to keep the barn closed as much as possible afterwards. 



Gentlemen of the Board — Farmers of Massachusetts — it 

 seems to us that the subject of this essay more nearly interests 

 the farmers of Massachusetts than any other agricultural ques- 

 tion now before us. If you will investigate and experiment we 



