FARM EXPERIMENTS. 297 



The above experiments are submitted without further comment. 

 They will be continued in the future with variations suggested l>y 

 the experience we have gained in this work. 



EXPEKIMEXT No. 4. 



Comparison of Feeding Values of early and late cut Hay. 



A field of grass of uniform quantitj- and qualit}' consisting mosth" 

 of clean herds-grass, with a verv little white-weed intermixed, was 

 selected and divided into plots two and one-half rods in width and 

 twenty rods in length. The grass upon the first, third, and fifth 

 plots was cut when in full bloom — July 11th ; and the second, fourth 

 and sixth plots were cut twenty days later — August 3d, when the 

 seed had become hard but not sufficienth' ripe to shell in harvesting. 



The weight of hay cut earl}', at time of putting in the barn, was 

 2,931 lbs. per acre. Weight of same Feb. 14th, 2,675 lbs ; shrink- 

 age, 8| per cent. 



The weight of hay cut late, at time of harvesting was 3,150 lbs. 

 per acre. Weight of same Feb. 14th, 2,GG2 lbs. ; shrinkage, 15^ 

 per cent. 



The greater shrinkage in the late cut ha}' is probabl}' owing to its 

 being weighed directly from the bunches that had stood in the field 

 over night. The amount of winter dry ha}' from each cutting was 

 practically the same. 



[In this connection it will be well to bear in mind that the season was extremely 

 dry, and that grass made very little growth after the middle of July. — Ed.] 



Chemical analysis of the hay showed the following composition : 



Early Hay. 



Moisture 10.7 per cent. 



Protein 6 " 



Fat 3.3 " 



Nitrogen-free extract 48.5 " 



Crude Fibre 27.7 " 



Ash 3.8 " 



