180 



Feeds and Feeding. 



Yield of pasture grass per acre from May 1 to Oct. 15 inclusive 

 Pennsylvania Station. 



At the Michigan Station, x Crozier cut the growing timothy from 

 a plat of grass eight times during the season, while on another 

 plat of the same area the timothy was allowed to make full 

 growth and was then cut for hay. It was found that the yield of 

 dry matter in the hay was about four times that of the grass which 

 was cut eight times. The per cent, of protein in the grass cut 

 eight times was about three times that in the once -cut grass. This 

 experiment shows that our pastures in their short herbage yield 

 a much higher proportion of muscle-making nutrients than is 

 obtained from grasses which are allowed to mature, but that much 

 the largest returns are secured by allowing them to ripen. (554) 



259. Changes in grass during ripening. At the Illinois Sta- 

 tion, 2 Hunt studied the effects of maturity on the yield and com- 

 position of several forage plants. Timothy was examined at four 

 periods covering about one month in all, beginning June 25, 

 when the plants were in full bloom. The yield of hay and the 

 total nutrients per acre for each of the four periods are given in 

 the table at the end of this Article. 



It will be seen that, on the whole, there was. a steady increase in 

 the weight of the crop as the plants progressed toward maturity. 

 We observe only a slight increase in the total protein content after 

 the first cutting. Between the first and last cuttings the crude 

 fiber increased more than 300 pounds and the nitrogen-free extract 

 more than 350 pounds, while the ether extract was reduced in 

 total quantity as ripening progressed. It appears, then, in this 



i Bui. 141. ~~ Bui. 5. 



