MOISTURE CONTENT AND SHRINKAGE OP FORAGE. 



29 



July 4 and 33 per cent on July 6. These results show the rate of 

 moisture loss in timothy at New London, Ohio, to be very nearly the 

 same as that of aKaKa and the mixture of tall oat-grass and orchard 

 grass at Arlington Farm, Va. (Table X) , where the atmospheric humid- 

 ity and the temperatures are very similar to those at New London. 

 Determinations of the rate of loss of moisture in amixture of tall oat- 

 grass and orchard grass and in alfalfa during the early stages of curing 

 were made at Arlmgton Farm, Va., on June 3 and on October 16, 

 1914, respectively. The data secured in this work are given in 

 Table X. 



Table X. — Rate of loss of moisture in a mixture of tall oat-grass and orchard grass and 

 in alfalfa during the early stages of curing at Arlington Farm, Va., in 1914. 



Tall oat-grass and orchard grass. 



Alfalfa. 



Time of weigliing. 



Time 

 elapsed. 



Weight. 



Loss in 

 weight. 



Time of weighing. 



Time 

 elapsed. 



Weight. 



Loss in 

 weight. 



June 3: 



12.30 p. m 



12.45 p. m 



12.55 p. m 



1.10 p. m 



1.20 p. m 



1.30 p. m 



1.45 p. m 



2.15 p. m 



2.45 p. m 



3.15 p. m 



3.45 p. m 



4.15 p. m 



Hr. m. 



'.'. is 



.. 25 

 .. 40 

 .. 50 



1 .. 



1 15 



1 45 



2 15 



2 45 



3 15 

 3 45 



Pounds. 

 100.0 

 96.5 

 95.0 

 92.5 

 90.0 

 88.5 

 86.0 

 80.5 

 76.5 

 73.0 

 70.0 

 66.5 



Per cent. 

 



3.5 

 5.0 

 7.5 

 10.0 

 11.5 

 14.0 

 19.5 

 23.5 

 27.0 

 30.0 

 33.5 



Oct. 16: 



12.40 p. m 



12.50 p. m 



1.00 p. m 



1.10 p. m 



1.20 p. m 



1.30 p. m 



1.40 p. m 



2.10 p. m 



2.40 p. m 



3.20 p. m 



3.40 p. m 



4.10p. m 



4.40 p. m 



Hr. m. 



'.'. io 



.. 20 

 .. 30 

 .. 40 

 .. 50 

 1 .. 



1 30 



2 .. 



2 40 



3 .. 



3 30 



4 .. 



Pounds. 

 100.0 

 98.0 

 96.0 

 94.0 

 91.0 

 89.0 

 86.0 

 81.0 

 77.0 

 75.0 

 72.5 

 69.5 

 68.0 



Per cent. 

 



2.0 

 4.0 

 6.0 

 9.0 

 11.0 

 14.0 

 19.0 

 23.0 

 25.0 

 27.5 

 30.5 

 32.0 



The afternoon of June 3 was bright and fairly free from cloudiness, 

 with a maximum temperature of 82° F. Under these conditions the 

 mixture of tall oat-grass and orchard grass which was scattered on a 

 tarpaulin lost 5 per cent of its weight in the first 25 minutes, 11.5 per 

 cent in 1 hour, and 33.5 per cent in 3 hours and 45 minutes after 

 cutting. The weights were taken as quickly as possible and the 

 material scattered each time as soon as the tarpaulin was lowered. 

 It wiU be noted that the loss of moisture was quite rapid, exceeding 

 slightly that of the timothy at New London, Ohio. 



The afternoon of October 16 was partly cloudy, but very warm for 

 that season, the maximum temperature for the day being 73° F. 

 AlfaKa under these conditions lost 6 per cent of its weight in the first 

 30 minutes, 14 per cent in 1 hour, and 32 per cent in 4 hours after 

 cutting. On a bright day and with the same temperature as that 

 prevailing on June 3 it is probable that the loss of moisture would 

 have exceeded that of the mixture of tall oat-grass and orchard grass. 



Determinations of the rate of moisture loss in alfalfa at Chico, Cal., 

 have been made during several years, and these results are given in 

 Table XI. These data appeared in slightly different form in an earUer 



