SHORT SEASON HAY CROPS. 



Circular No. 42 



BY 

 C. R. MEGEE^ FARM CROPS SECTION. 



Due to the frequent failures of clover seedings the past two seasons, it 

 has been necessary in many instances to turn to annual or quick-growing 

 crops in order that sufficient forage be produced to meet the immediate 



need for hay or roughage. 



The short season crops may be classified according to time of plant- 

 ing as spring and earh* summer sown crops. 



SPRING SOWN CROPS. 



Oats and peas. On fertile loam and clay loam soils a mixture of one 

 bushel of oats and one bushel of Canada field peas sown at the rate of 

 two and one-fourth bushels per acre, with ordinary grain drill, as early 

 in the spring as a good seed bed can be prepared, will usually make a 

 very dependable hay crop. On the M. A. C. Station plats the past sea- 

 son oats alone yielded one ton of air dry hay per acre, while the above 

 mentioned mixture of oats and peas yielded one and three-fourths tons. 



Oats and vetch. On sandy loam soils, adapted to the production of 

 vetch a mixture of 2 bushels of oats and 20 pounds of hairy or winter 

 vetch, sown early in the spring, will usually produce a good hay crop. 

 Nearly two tons of hay v.ere secured from this mixture on the Station 

 plats the past season. 



EARLY SUMMER SOWN CROPS. 



Corn. Of all the crops tested corn gave the highest yield of forage 

 and the largest amount of total digestible nutrients per acre. When 

 sown quite thickly in 32-inch rows the ears are not so well developed 

 but the stalks are much finer and practically all of the plant is eaten 

 by the stock. When sown this way the crop may be cut with the corn 

 binder and bound in small bundles vrhich facilitates handling. Varieties 

 which normally reach the glaze or dent stage should be used. On favor- 

 able seasons corn may be sown as late as July first and still produce 

 good yields of roughage. Yields of from 7 to 9 tons of dry forage were 

 secured at the Station the past season. 



Soyteans. Three tons of air-dry hay Avere secured by sowing Ito San 

 soybeans on May 20th with an ordinary grain drill, all holes open, using 

 one and one-half bushels of seed per acre. Two and three-fourths tons 

 were secured when sown June seventh. Soybeans may also be sown in 

 28-inch rows, using 35 pounds of seed per acre. Tliis method will give 

 a higher yield of seed but on the experimental plats did not give quite 

 as high a yield of hay. The seed bed should be well cleaned of weeds 

 and the soybeans sown just deep enough to insure being covered. 



