16 



GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS. 



The name of Timothy, by which 

 it is more generally known over 

 the country and abroad, was 

 obtained from Timothy Han- 

 son, who cultivated it exten- 

 sively, and according to some 

 accounts, introduced it into 

 England, from whence it is 

 supposed to have been origi- 

 nally brought to this country. 

 It forms a large proportion of 

 what is called English hay. In 

 point of nutritive matter, Sin- 

 clair says, the ripe crop greatly 

 exceeds the crop at the time of 

 flowering. If this is so, it is 

 owing in part to the size and 

 quantity of its mealy seeds. As 

 many as thirty bushels, of forty- 

 six pounds to the bushel, have 

 been obtained to the acre. 



The results obtained by Prof. 

 Way will be found on a subse- 

 quent page in the discussion 

 upon the nutritive values of the 

 various grasses. It may be re- 

 marked, in passing, that there 

 are many considerations to de- 

 termine the time of cutting and 

 curing grass, besides its nutri- 

 tive value at different stages of 

 its growth, as its palatability 

 at the time of blossoming, and the greater growth of aftermath 

 which is lost by allowing the grass to ripen. This subject will 

 form the topic of a subsequent section. 



As a crop to cut for hay it is probably unsurpassed by any 

 other grass now cultivated. Though somewhat coarse and 

 hard,— especially if allowed to ripen its seed, yet if cut in the 

 blossom, or directly after, it is greatly relished by all kinds of 

 stock, and especially so hy liorscs, while it possesses a large per- 



Fig. 13. Timothy, or Herds-grass. 



