MOISTURE CONTENT AND SHRINKAGE OF FORAGE. 33 
TaBLeE XIV.—Shrinkage of oat hay after baling and variation in weight, due to changes 
in atmospheric humidity, at Chico, Cal., in 1913 and 1914-15. 
Weight. 
| 
Bale. Loss,! Junelto—| Gain1 
when July Aug. Sept. Nov. Dec. Sept. 
2 Gs 1 7Aay. 4, 1 25 to 
June 1 
Sept. 25.| Dec. 1. | Dec. 1. 
Tests in 1913: Pounds. | Pounds.| Pounds.| Pounds.| Pounds. | Pounds. | Per cent.| Per cent | Per cent 
INOS Set Aa 225.0 221.0 PAV (GE 213.0 215.0 216.5 53 3.8 a 
INOS2oe Sees 240.0 231.5 230. 0 227.0 230.0 231.0 5.4 3.8 Lig 
INOSSE ase eee 245.0 237.0 234.0 230.5 233.0 235.0 5.9 4,1 Ae 
INOS Ashes one 265.0 256.0 254.5 252.0 253.0 254.0 4.9 4,2 ‘ 
Average.....- 243.8 236.4 234.0 230.6 232.8 234.1 5.4 4.0 1 
| 
Loss,! June 1 to— 2 
When Gain, 
paled, July Aug Oct Dee Feb. 2, Aug. 31 
Fano t 1 31 16 17. 1915 Aug. | Feb. 25, forces 
31. 1915. as 
Tests in 1914-15: Pounds.| Pounds.| Pounds.| Pounds.| Pownds.| Pounds. | Per cent.| Per cent.| Per cent. 
INOS 566m eee 160 150. 25 147.75 147.75 152. 00 158.5 TB 0.9 6.8 
INOS 56 lice ee oe | 190 176. 50 172. 50 172.50 175. 25 182.5 9.2 3.9 a 
INOS 568K ee ee 165 154. 60 151.75 152. 25 155. 50 162.0 8.0 1.8 6.2 
INOS 5692 Ee acc oe 200 189. 00 184. 50 184. 50 187.75 194.0 7.8 3.0 4.8 
INOS GY DE Bea B sere | 175 163. 00 161. 00 161. 50 164, 25 172.5 8.0 1.4 6.6 
Average...... | 178 | 166.55 | 163.50 | 168.70 | 166.95 173.9 8.1 pa 5.9 
1 In figuring all the percentages, the original weight of the bale was taken as the base. 
It is unfortunate that no determination of the moisture percentage 
was made for the hay used in 1913 and also that the weights were not 
continued through the winter, so that the gain due to increase of 
atmospheric humidity could have been more fully recorded. A com- 
parison of the results in 1913 with those in 1914 indicates that the 
hay used in 1913 was somewhat drier than that used in 1914, since 
the total shrinkage was less; however, this may have been due, to some 
extent at least, to the character of the season. July and August in 
1914 were unusually dry, while the months of December, January, 
and February, following, were extremely wet. The month of No- 
vember, 1913, was also quite wet, having a precipitation of 8.5 inches 
and 21 cloudy or partly cloudy days. Under the extreme conditions 
in 1914, the variation in moisture content of the oat hay was quite 
large. The shrinkage in weight from the time of baling, June 1, to 
August 31, when the weight was least, amounted to 8.1 per cent of the 
original weight. Such a loss in weight would require the producer to 
advance the price of his hay.considerably after holding it in storage 
several months, in order to protect himself against loss. The Ohio 
Agricultural Experiment Station 1 found a shrinkage of 5.7 per cent 
in baled oat straw when stored on a barn floor from September until 
1 Hickman, J. F. Experiments with oats. Ohio Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 57, p. 111, 9 tab., 1894. 
