Meadows and Haymaking 



35 



reception, and that every attention has been 

 paid to the manuring of the grasses resulting, 

 and the eradication of the weeds which will 

 be sure, in a greater or less degree, to infest 

 them, we come now to consider the first of 

 the points connected with the process of 

 haymaking; and that is the cutting of the 

 grass. And in connexion with this, the two 

 points are before us — first, the period at which 

 the grasses should be cut, and, second, the 

 mode in which the grasses should be cut. 

 And, first, as to the period. All good authori- 

 ties agree that grasses should not be allowed 

 to be uncut till the seeds are matured ; 

 the best period is when they are in full 

 flower. Unfortunately, all grasses in mixed 

 meadows are not in flower at the same time, 

 but the nearest approach to an average 

 should be carefully arrived at. Very fre- 

 quently, when the meadow grasses are at 

 their best stage for cutting, the farmer fancies 

 or believes that the crop is light, and that a 

 further growth uill greatly benefit it ; but it 

 may be taken as an axiom that further 

 growth will deteriorate rather than increase 

 the value of the crop. As soon as the grasses 

 have seeded, each day's further growth only 

 tends to bring about a change in their nature, 

 Avhich is to be, if possible, avoided. When a 

 plant seeds, the whole, or nearly the whole, 

 of its vigour is given to perfect the seed to 

 the loss of the fibre of the stalk and leaves ; 



flowering; Avhile, moreover, another condition 

 comes into play in view of this fast-growing 

 faculty — namely, that succeeding cuttings may 

 be obtained in the same season if the first 

 crop is taken off, where it is grown speci- 

 ally or alone. Further, we find that clover 

 may be best cut when the flowers are in full 

 blossom. 



We have said that the period of cutting 

 the grasses materially influences the nutri- 

 tive quality of the hay procured from 

 it. I'hus, let us take the case of clover 

 (red). Dr Wolff found clover, cut while 

 beginning to flower on the nth of June, 

 yielded of nutritive substances 55.43 per 

 cent. ; while cut in full flower on the 25th of 

 June, only 46.07 per cent. This result does 

 not bear out what we have above stated — 

 namely, that the best time to cut clover is 

 when in full flower ; yet another experiment 

 made on Alsike clover does bear it out, for 

 the result was in favour of the sample cut 

 in full flower. But the truth is, that we have 

 yet a good deal to learn on the subject. At 

 present we only reason from analogy in 

 favour of cutting grasses before they mature 

 their seed. We are in want of much trust- 

 worthy evidence as to the exact influence 

 upon the nutritive properties of grasses 

 according to the time during which they are 

 allowed to grow. Some experiments we have 

 go to shew that — in the case of some grasses 



and as in hay the very opposite result to that at least — the hay is the most valuable when 



Avhich, in the case of corn, is aimed at, we 



ought to cut the grasses of which it is composed 



at that stage in which the nutritive juices are 



in the stalk and leaves, and before they go 



into the seed. As before stated, the times of 



flowering of the plants vary ; and, further, we 



the seeds are ripe ; thus, in the case of two 

 specimens of Cocksfoot grass (Dactylis 

 glomerata), the amount of nutritive princi- 

 ples in the grass, cut when coming into flower, 

 was 18.30 per cent, while in the case of 

 the specimen cut when the seeds were fully 



find that some plants permit of a longer period ripe, the amount of nutritive matter had in- 



of growth without deterioration of the value creased to 24.38 per cent. But, as stated above, 



of the stalk and leaves than others. Thus, in we have much yet to learn in connexion with 



the case of perennial or ordinary ryegrass these points, and it would be well if our 



(Lolium perenne) we may allov/ it to remain 

 uncut till it produces the flowers, while in the 

 case of Italian ryegrass (Lolium italicum) it 

 uld be cut as soon as the flowers appear 

 for this reason, that this grass is so fast a 

 grower, that the'stage of deterioration of the 



Agricultural Societies would direct their atten- 

 tion to the matter. Their interests would not 

 suffer, while those of the farming community 

 would be greatly advanced, if a little of the 

 money and the time which they give to other 

 matters, not a whit more important, were 



leaves and stalk is very rapidly reached after given to this. It is, to say the least of it. 



