156 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



found any that cattle will not eat readily. I do not apprehend 

 any danger, but still, if you want to be sure to save all your hay, 

 put on six or eight inches of straw, and then it will be perfectly 

 good up to the straw ; the straw will absorb all the moisture. 



There are men in Franklin county, who have carried this 

 practice still further. They let the horse-rake follow the mowing 

 machine, and cart it in perfectly green. I have never tried that; 

 but if you should meet Mr. F. B. Stewart, you will see him with 

 a wad of hay in his pocket, which came from a lot that he got 

 into the barn under these circumstances. He cut some five tons 

 last year, beginning to mow at 9 o'clock, and as it looked likely 

 to rain, he went to work and had it all in his barn at 5 o'clock. 

 The wad he had in his pocket was perfectly clean and bright when 

 I saw it. 



When I cut hay to put into the barn, I want it matured. If we 

 cut it too soon, there is too much moisture in it. I am not par- 

 ticular about the "first blossom," or the " second blossom," but 

 I want to have the grass mature, and the seed set. Then cut it 

 down, and put it in as soon as you please, if it is dry. If there 

 is no wet on it, j^ou may depend upon it, it is perfectly safe. 



Mr. Perley. Will you please fix the time which you consider 

 tlie proper one to cut herds-grass ? 



Mr. Taylor. I have noticed that herds-grass has the appear- 

 ance of blossoming a second time, and if I could get my hay just 

 when 1 would like to, I should cut it at the time of the second 

 blossoming. After the grass has blossomed once, the bloom dis- 

 appears, and after a day or two, you will find that other blossoms 

 appear, just like the first ones, except that they are darker. 



Gov. Brown. You say you would have tlio seeds set before 

 cutting. Do 3'ou mean by that, that you would cut the grass as 

 soon as you noticed that the seeds were formed, or would you 

 have the process go further ? 



Mr. Taylor. As soon as the first blossom has disappeared, I 

 think you Avill find that the seed lias set. It is in what I would 

 call the milk, if it was grain ; and then is the time for us to cut 

 the grass. Sometimes it is impossible to cut it all at the right 

 time. Some lots need to be cut earlier than others ; so if we 

 watch closely, we can generally hit about the right time ; and my 

 observation is, that if the grass is cut after it is so far matured, it 

 is worth more than if cut sooner. 



One gentleman spoke of cutting herds-grass when the heads 



