PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS* CLUB. 165 



the pelvis. A broad pelvis is an important consideration in select- 

 ing any kind of domestic animals for breeding. These brief hinte 

 will enable almost any farmer to begin this important undertaking 

 this year, with the assurance of satisfactory success. 



When to Cut Grass. 

 The question is raised every season, with regard to the best 

 period in the growth of the grass, when, if it l)e mowed, it will 

 make the best hay. All experienced and practical farmers agree 

 that if it is desirable to have hay "spend well," or "go a good 

 ways," it is better to allow the grass to remain uncut till the seed 

 has matured. But if the object is to secure the greatest number 

 of pounds of animal flesh, or milk and butter, the grass should be 

 cut and cured when it is in full bloom. When grass is ripe it 

 makes dry and less palatable hay than if it were cut before the 

 blossoms had fallen. But if the grass is moAved before the seed 

 has matured, the hay will be far more like green grass, than if it 

 had been allowed to ripen, and animals will consume it with far 

 greater avidity than if the stalks and leaves were dry and harsh. 

 Every intelligent farmer knows that animals will thrive much 

 better on green grass than on dry hay. Therefore, the nearer the 

 hay can be secured, so as to make feed like grass, the greater the 

 amount of nourishment a given quantity will afford to any kind of 

 stock. When the grass is in blossom, the gum, starch and sugar 

 are more abundant than they will be after the seed has matured. 

 If a farmer desires to cut his grass when it will yield the most 

 nourishment, it is by no means the best policy to allow it to become 

 fully ripe, so that animals cannot consume so much as they would 

 if the grass had been cut when in full blossom. The better way 

 is to cut the grass when it will afford the largest quantity of nour- 

 ishm.ent, and then restrict every animal to a limited amount of 

 fodder. If they need coarse fodder, containing a large quantity 

 of woody fibre, let them have access to straw, and not allow grass 

 that would make excellent feed to stand until a large portion of 

 the nutritious matter has changed to woody fibre, which will 

 afford very little if any nourishment. It is true that the riper the 

 grass is when it is mowed, the less labor is required to cure it. 

 But if the hay is designed for making milk, or for promoting the 

 growth of young stock of any kind, or is to be fed to teams, the 

 ripe bay will not afford so much nourishment as the green hay; 

 and a ton of the ripe hay will last several days longer than if it 



