70 
Report of the First Assistant of the ' 
soil was the poorest, physically speaking, of any of the 125 acres of the 
station, this seeding did very well and gave a fair return in crop. The 
character of the soil of the plat is clayey loam, which is easily worked ; 
that where planted on the farm was a hard, compact clay not under- 
drained. Where the ground was quite moist (not wet), the oats did 
very well, but on the knolls rather poorly, as would have any grain 
planted in the ordinary manner. 
There need be no hesitation on the part of the farmer to sow either 
oats or barley in late winter or early spring on ground where some 
fall-sown crop has made a failure. The risk is little, and the chance 
for a gain through the medium of their crop is very great. 
EVAPORATION OF MoiSTUKE IN CONVERTING GRASS TO HAY. 
From a piece of grass, consisting mostly of Meadow Fescue (Festuca 
pratensis), with a little Red Clover (Trifolium pratensis), two lots of 200 
pounds each were selected. This grass was very even as growing in 
the field, and was cut by the mowing machine. Both lots were 
spread as in ordinary haying, covering an area of twenty by twenty 
feet, with a very good exposure to sunshine. It was a typical hay-day, 
with a light breeze blowing. The first weighing of the grass was 
made at 8 a. m., June 14, immediately after cutting, and thereafter 
every hour until 6 p. m. The grass was carefully raked up and 
weighed, and immediately after respread. The following are the 
figures secured, that for 7 a. m. being the weight of the hay in the 
cock the next morning at that time. At 6 p. m. of the first day 
the hay was cocked up, and the experiment was carried no further the 
next day than to weigh at 7 a. m. : 
HOUR WEIGHED. 
Weight of lot I, 
lbs. 
Weight of lot II, 
lbs. 
Difference in 
weight between 
lots I, and II, lbs. 
8 A. M 
200.00 
200.00 
9 A M 
172.50 
180.50 
8.00 
10 A. M 
157.00 
166.50 
9.50 
11 A M 
137.25 
147 50 
10.25 
12 M 
125.25 
130.50 
5.00 
1 P. M 
106.25 
116.25 
10.00 
2 P. M ' 
94.00 
103.00 
9.00 
3 P. M 
87.75 
95.50 
7.75 
4 P. M 
83.00 
88 . 25 
5.25 
5 P. M 
78.87 
87.00 
9.00 
6 P. M 
74.75 
83 . 50 
8.75 
7 A. M 
76.25 
84.75 
8.50 
