TALL OAT GRASS. 219 



eomiiioii to cut two crops of hay in one season. The 

 yield of hay may be set down as running from 1 to 3 tons 

 per acre as the soils vary on which it is grown and 

 also as the season admits of cutting one or two crops. 



Testimony regarding its value for hay is conflicting. 

 Some growers think well of it. They claim that it is 

 more soft and palatable than timothy, for instance. The 

 first claim is correct, but because of this it would be less 

 valuable for market uses. The second does not general- 

 ly hold good, and because of the great promptness nec- 

 essary in cutting and curing it the difficulty of curing 

 any considerable area of it in best form is greatly en- 

 hanced. 



Securing Seed. — Tall oat grass seeds freely. The 

 seeds begin to ripen in from six to twelve days from the 

 time of blossoming. The length of the interval is much 

 influenced by the weather, but it is always short. The 

 seeds on the top of the heads begin to ripen first and 

 as soon as these show indications of falling off the 

 cutting should not be delayed for a single day or a 

 considerable proportion of the seed may be lost. The 

 delay of only a few^ days in harvesting has resulted in 

 the entire loss of the seed crop. 



From what has been said it will be apparent that not 

 only promptness but much care must be exercised in 

 harvesting the crop, otherwise much of the seed will be 

 lost. One of the best methods of cutting is to set the 

 binder high so as to cut off the stems above the mass of 

 the lower leaves, and to shock the sheaves thus made in 

 long rather than in round shocks, until dry. These 

 may then be drawm on racks covered with some kind of 



