CURING OF SWALE HAY. 345 



know you will be convinced, and thereby much money may be 

 saved annually to the farmers of Massachusetts alone. The 

 question is^often asked us, " Do you use salt on your hay ? " We 

 have experimented with salt on our mows and find that salt 

 ruins hay when put in, in a green state. The salt separates or 

 sets at liberty the water which is held in the succulent matter 

 which would be otherwise retained. Therefore, by the use of 

 salt we have a certain amount of water diffused all through our 

 mows, and the consequence is the hay mats, moulds and smokes, 

 and is unfit for feed. We have said nothing in regard to 

 meadow or swale hay ; we do not regard it very valuable for 

 feed unless cut and mixed with a good allowance of meal. 



More care is required in the curing process than with our 

 English grasses. If put in the barn in a very green state it 

 does not come out sweet and good ; therefore we would not 

 recommend putting meadow or swale hay into the barn with as 

 little drying as we would our English grasses grown upon high 

 land. John Johnson, for the Committee. 



Framingham, January 27, 1871. 



This essay led to a long discussion, when it was laid over 

 under the rule. 



Voted, That the officers of the Agricultural College be re- 

 quested to institute a series of experiments with regard to the 

 period of growth at which grass can be most profitably cut, and 

 also a series of experiments by which the various processes of 

 curing can be tested, and that a committee of three be appointed 

 to confer with the college on this matter. 



Messrs. Loring, Johnson and Ellsworth were appointed as 

 this committee. 

 Adjourned. 



'Fifth Day. 



The Board met at ten o'clock A. M., Mr. Davis in the chair. 



Present — Messrs. AUis, Baker, Birnie, Boise, Brown, Bucklin, 

 Clark, Davis, Ellsworth, Fearing, Hubbard, Hyde, Goodman, 

 Johnson, Knowlton, Ladd, Loring, Moore, Saltonstall, Slade, 

 Stone, Vincent and Ward. 



44 



