Live Stock Breeders' Association. 83 



fcy the fifth cutting, with a decline of 14,5 per cent from the 

 maximum yield, and this closely followed by the fourth cutting, 

 with the seed in dough, with a loss of 15.25 per cent. 



In the third year of the trial the second cutting again showed 

 the highest yield of digestible material. The third cutting, with 

 the seed formed, stood second, with a decline of 4.25 per cent, with 

 the fourth cutting next, showing a decline of 9 per cent; the first 

 cutting stood next in rank, with a loss of 12 per cent over the 

 second cutting, and the smallest yield of digestible material was 

 from the last cutting, the diff'erence being 23.5 per cent or a loss 

 of 520 pounds of digestible material per acre. 



In the fifth year of the experiment, as before stated, the first 

 cutting was lost. This year, for the first time, the third cutting, 

 when the seed were formed, gave the maximum yield of digestible 

 dry matter; the second cutting stood next, with a difference of 3 

 per cent; following this there was a heavy decline to the fourth 

 catting, the loss being 21 per cent, and a still further decline to the 

 fifth cutting, the loss from the third being 27.3 per cent. 



Averaging all of the trials, it was found that in digestible dry 

 matter the rank was as follows : 



Second cutting, maximum yield. 



Third cutting next, with an average loss of 120 pounds, or 3.5 

 per cent. 



First cutting, third, with an average loss of 165 pounds, or 

 7.5 per cent. 



Fourth cutting, fourth, with an average loss of 245 pounds, 

 or 21.25 per cent. 



Fifth cutting, last, with a loss of 475 pounds, or 27.75 per cent. 



In short, if no other factors were involved in the problem than 

 the yield of digestible dry matter, the farmer, in order to secure 

 the largest yield, would be forced to harvest his hay when in full 

 bloom, which, in Central Missouri, would be about June 20th. 



If he had harvested it eight or ten days earlier than this, or 

 when the plants were just in full head, he would have sustained 

 a loss of 7.5 per cent of his yield. By harvesting eight or ten days 

 later, or when seed were formed, the loss would have been 3.5 

 per cent. By waiting another week or ten days, he would have 

 harvested only about five-sixths as much digestible material as 

 when the plants were in full bloom, and by waiting until the plants 

 were fully ripe, he would have harvested a little more than four- 

 fifths as much digestible matter. 



