380 Bureau of Fakmers' Institutes. 



If you were seeding a poor piece of land for pasture, wliat kind of 

 seed would you sow? 



Mr. Cook. — I would use orchard jirass for one-half. The re- 

 mainder I would have of meadow fescue, alsike, and perhaps, some 

 other grass. But, if the land was natural pasture, I would top 

 dress it liberally. I believe that better results will be thus ob- 

 tained than to plow the pastures and reseed them. 



Has anyone bad any experience with brome grass? • 



Mr. Cook. — I dou't know it. Docs any one here? Director 

 Dawley is experimenting with it at Fayetteville this year. 



Is tbere as much moisture in timothy hay as In corn at the same stage 

 of growth? 



Mr. Cook. — I do not know. There is about 12 per cent, of mois- 

 ture in dry timothy. I don't know how green timothy compares 

 with green corn-stalks. 



Mr. Moulton. — The stem of timothy is hollow; that of corn- 

 stalks solid; so I do not think there is as much moisture in the 

 timothy as in the corn-stalks. 



What is the feeding value of timothy hay, and how does It compare 

 with clover and corn ensilage? Will Mr. Gould please answer? 



Answer. — Tbere are but 750 pounds of digestible matter in a 

 ton of timothy hay; the balance is sawdust. In clover there is 

 14 per cent., nearly twice as much digestible material, wbile oats 

 are very nearly evenly balanced. To get the best results from 

 clover and corn, cut the clover early and properly cure and house 

 it; properly cultivate the corn crop and when in the proper stage, 

 put it in the silo. A cow requires 14 pounds of digestible 

 starch each day. To get it from these stalks, she would have 

 to eat 45 pounds, which she could not do. In ensilage the ratio 

 is still wider, being 1 to 17. But remember, the ensilage is suc- 

 culent, not dry, and there is more of it that is digestible. Clover 

 and timothy do not compare, any more than do corn and wheat 

 bran. We grow the two crops to obtain entirely different results, 

 our aim being to secure starch and protein. We, therefore, grow 

 the timothy — if we do grow it — to obtain starch; clover to obtain 



