No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURB. 253 



amoiiuLs are given at each feeding, tliongh in all cases when the for- 

 age is very young, or in the beginning of the year, smaller amounts 

 should be fed, in order to get tlio system of the animal adjusted to 

 the more succulent product. 



Rye. The first crop to be of service in the spring is rye, which is 

 usually ready for feeding the last week in April, and may be con- 

 tinued through the first ten days of May. It matures very rapidly 

 after the heads appear, and can be successfuly used for a period of 

 from ten to fourteen days, if seeded at different times, and cutting 

 is begun before it comes in head. Where it is not practicable to 

 practice soiling, the crops may be pastured. This metliod, while 

 more wasteful, is less expensive than soiling. It is veFy important 

 to have a pasture crop at that season, because coming before meadow 

 pastures are ready. 



The crop yields well on medium soils, though it responds profitably 

 to good treatment. It is recommended that it be seeded thicker than 

 when the crop is used for grain; from two to two and one-half bushels 

 of seed juay be used with advantage on good soils. The fertilizers 

 should be rich in available phosphoric acid. A fertilizer containing, 



Per cent. 



Nitrogen, 3 



Phosphoric acid, 8 



Potash, 5 



may be applied at time of seeding, at the rate of 200 to 300 pounds 

 per acre. A top dressing of nitrate of soda in the spring, at the rate 

 of 100 to 150 pounds per acre, is also an excellent practice, not only 

 stimulating a more rapid growth, but increasing the content of ni 

 trogen in the dry matter. "When cut at its best stage, it is nitro- 

 genous in its character, though it rapidly changes in this respect as 

 it matures. On the average, the crop will contain about 23 per cent, 

 of dry matter, and a yield of six tons per acre w'owld furnish about 

 one and one-half tons, with a nutritive ratio of 1.5, thus being in 

 itself practically a balanced ration. It, how^ever, cannot be fed as 

 an exclusive ration, owing to its watery character. 



Wheat. Wheat is also an excellent green forage, and ordinarily 

 its use will immediately follow that of rye. It contains on the aver- 

 age a little more water than the rye, though its dry matter is richer 

 in nitrogen. The seeding and treatment may be the same as for rye, 

 though on the same character of soil larger yields of rye than of 

 wheat may be obtained because of the greater foraging power of th« 

 rye. 



