222 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



tion ill each stall, and give them early cut hay on one side and 

 late cut hay on the other, we would find that the animals were 

 good judges enough, after trial, always to prefer early cut hay ; 

 and I think tliat the discussion which has been going on in the 

 journals for some time past as to the benefits of early cut hay 

 will do essential service, and bring us to acknowledge that the 

 animals we put in our barns would much prefer it when cut at 

 the proper time, with the juices in it, than when dried up ; and 

 that there is, perhaps, as much difference in the quality of the 

 hay we give to our cattle as in the quality of the sweet corn we 

 eat — young and tender or old and tasteless — or in the quality 

 of the bread we eat — nice wheaten bread, or dry Graham bread, 

 with or without butter. 



But, gentlemen, we are perhaps a little too highly favored in 

 our section of the State to talk with much discernment on the 

 subject of manuring our grass lands, because, if the reports of 

 some of our farmers, rendered to our agricultural societies, are 

 true, we do not so much need manures as something to repress 

 the great growth of our crops ! From the recorded statistics it 

 would seem that our hay and our oats and other grain grow 

 with such extraordinary luxuriance that they certainly over- 

 balance any returns from any other parts of the State. It is 

 undoubtedly true that we have a favorable soil ; but I am sat- 

 isfied that, favorable as our soil is, we could not get along with- 

 out using not only the manures that we make, but also other 

 fertilizers and the novel modes of tillage that are now brought 

 into practice. And this leads me to the topic on which I par- 

 ticularly desire to speak on this occasion. I do not rise so much 

 to discuss the hay crop and the modes of curing hay as I do to 

 bring to your notice generally the value of the gatherings which 

 have taken place here within the last two or three days. 



This is to most of us, particularly to those who live in the 

 western part of the State, a novel institution — this gathering of 

 farmers for the purpose of receiving instruction from gentlemen 

 from different parts of this State and from other States — and we 

 are satisfied that great benefit has accrued from it to the farmers 

 of Massachusetts. The discussions which have taken place 

 during the last two or three days have been general in their 

 character. Tlie gentlemen who come here to address us upon 

 these subjects cannot, of course, be expected to enter into de- 



