24 BULLETIN 873, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



it is the loss of water in most instances, and not dry matter, that has 

 a bearing on the practical side of the question. 



Considered purely from a farm-management standpoint, shrinkage 

 in storage always means a certain initial loss to the producer, inas- 

 much as the handling, hauling, and storing of hay containing an 

 excess of water increases the cost of production by requiring extra 

 labor and time to handle the excess weight. Sometimes this extra 

 cost is more than offset by improvement in the quality of the hay, 

 because it is stored as soon as it is safe to haul, and thus cures out 

 properly in the barn or stack. The extra expense of handling heavy, 

 improperly cured hay that will afterwards spoil by heating, however, 

 is an absolute loss that can not be recovered when the hay is sold 

 or fed. 



THE PRODUCER DOES NOT LOSE. 



The shrinkage of hay does not cause a direct money loss to the 

 producer who feeds his hay, for the water lost has no actual feeding 

 value, and there is just as great a total of nutrients in a barn of hay 

 after a normal shrinkage has taken place as there was when the hay 

 was put into the barn. In calculating rations, however, it will be 

 necessary to feed a smaller amount of thoroughly cured hay to fur- 

 nish the required amount of nutrition than when feeding u green" 

 hay (see definition, p. 31) containing an excess of water.. For this 

 reason the producer who grows hay for feeding on the farm need not 

 be concerned about the so-called loss from shrinkage. 



When hay is grown for the market, shrinkage sometimes involves a 

 money loss under the present system of marketing, though not to the 

 grower. Hay is not graded according to the percentage of water 

 contained, as is corn. Hay containing more than the normal amount 

 of water is often shipped to market. This kind of hay does not 

 always bring top prices, however, for if it is "hot" it may be graded 

 down, until the price not only makes allowance for the excess weight 

 of water contained, but also for the damage (discoloration, etc.) 

 resulting from excessive heating during shrinkage. When hay which 

 has passed through the sweat, but still contains a higher water con- 

 tent' than normal is shipped to market, the producer is paid for the 

 extra water therein at the rate paid for the hay itself. This selling 

 of water at the price of market hay is allowable at present, but when 

 a deliberate attempt is made to make and market hay with a water 

 content above normal it very nearly approaches, in theory, at least 

 what may be called "sharp practice." 



The hay grower, however, should not be blamed entirely for 

 attempting to avoid what he may think is likely to be an actual loss 

 by shrinkage. In 1882 Jordan 30 advocated that the hay grower 



80 Jordan, W. H. Experiments and investigations conducted at the Pennsylvania State College, 

 1881-82. p. 7-14. [Unnumbered publication.) 



