36 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 
a rule, the less change that occurs in color during the 
curing the better the hay will be. 
How long to leave hay in the cock cannot be de- 
termined by any general rule. It depends onthe kind 
of hay, the stage at which it is cut, the dryness of the 
atmosphere, and the weight of thecrop. A heavy crop 
takes longer to cure than a light one. Timothy cures 
quickly, while millets require a longer time. A rule 
frequently followed by farmers isto begin stacking when 
the hay in the center of the cock is dry enough that 
when a wisp of it is twisted no juice can be squeezed 
out of it. 
When a large quantity of hay is put in a single mow 
or stack it may be stored in a greener state than when 
the quantity is small. Some farmers put clover hay 
in the mow right from the mower. In storing hay 
as green as this they usually put about a gallon of 
salt on each ton of_hay. Some use a half gallon of 
quicklime instead of the salt. The salt or lime absorbs 
moisture from the hay, and thus aids the curing proc- 
ess. Hay stored before drying generally turns brown, 
or even black, in curing, but it is readily eaten by 
stock. The writer has never practiced this method of 
bulk-curing, though it is frequently reported in the 
agricultural papers. Hay cured this way is close kin 
to silage. 
The method of curing hay (timothy and clover) 
used by the Rev. J. D. Detrich, formerly of Flour- 
town, Pa., who probably raises the largest crops of hay 
of any farmer in this country, is given in his own words, 
as follows: ‘‘’The grass is cut in the afternoon. The 
first night’s dew never hurts it. The next day it is 
