Missouri Agricultural Report. 



THE TIME TO HARVEST TIMOTHY FOR THE LARGEST 

 YIELD OF THE MOST NUTRITIOUS AND PALATABLE 

 HAY. 



(By H. J. Waters Dean College of Ag:riculture.) 



The experiments and careful observations conducted at the 

 Missouri Station on which the following conclusions are based have 

 extended over a period of twelve years. In this brief summary 

 of the practical teachings of these investigations, it is impossible 

 to present much of the tabular data. The reader who is interested 

 in a more detailed and careful study of the subject is referred to a 

 bulletin on this subject soon to be published by the Missouri Ex- 

 periment Station, which will report in full the results of these ex- 

 periments. 



Hay is the second most important crop on the Missouri farm, 

 standing next to corn in value, and far ahead of wheat, oats, fruit, 

 etc. For example, what might be termed at this time a fair aver- 

 age acreage and production of the principal crops of Missouri 

 would be as follows: 



Corn, 7,000,000 acres; 200,000,000 bushels; worth $75,000,000 

 to $100,000,000. 



Hay, 3,000,000 acres; 4,000,000 tons; worth from $25,000,000 

 to $35,000,000. 



Wheat, 2,000,000 acres ; 30,000,000 bushels ; worth from $25,- 

 000,000 to $30,000,000. 



Hay is a bulky product, relatively expensive to put into condi- 

 tion for transportation, and in proportion to its value, very expen- 

 sive to ship. On this account a large proportion of all the hay 

 produced in Missouri is fed to live stock on the farm where it is 

 grown ; a larger proportion than of corn or oats, and necessarily a 

 much larger proportion than of wheat, which is primarily a sale 

 crop. 



Viewing the matter from the standpoint of the producer of 

 hay, the following important factors are to be considered : 



1. Yield. 



2. Palatability. 



3. Feeding value. 



4. Convenience in harvesting. 



5. Keeping qualities. 



6. Permanency of the stand. 



