THE SMALLER GRASSESSTRAW HAY-MAKING 209 



which continues in the corn plant until the grain is mature (23), it at 

 first seems surprising that the last cutting of timothy, made when the 

 seeds were ripe but before they had shattered, yielded 342 Ibs. less dry 

 matter than the third cutting. This was due to the partial loss of the 

 lower leaves as the plants matured, to leaching by rain, and to the stor- 

 age of nutrients in the bulbs at the base of the stems. More important 

 than the total yield of dry matter is the content of digestible nutrients. 

 Owing to decreased digestibility of the later cuttings, at full bloom the 

 crop contained noticeably the most digestible crude protein, carbohy- 

 drates, and total digestible matter. While the digestible crude protein 

 had decreased 23 per ct. by the time the seed was formed, there was 

 little or no decrease in the other nutrients up to this stage. Later the 

 yield of both digestible crude protein and carbohydrates fell off marked- 

 ly. The decrease in total digestible nutrients as the crop matured a 

 condition opposite to that in the corn crop is explained both by the 

 reasons mentioned above and by the fact that the maturing corn plant is 

 continuously storing nutrients in the highly digestible grain. Hills of 

 the Vermont Station 5 points out that with the smaller grasses the nutri- 

 ents stored in the seeds are largely lost to the animal, for the seeds are 

 well protected against mastication and digestion by their small size and 

 hard seed coats. / 



During 2 years Waters determined the preference of stock for the 

 several cuttings, steers, dairy cows, and sheep being allowed free access 

 to feed racks containing each cutting. Yearling steers with no other 

 feed showed a decided preference for the first cutting over the second 

 and for the second over the third, discriminating sharply against the 

 fourth and especially the fifth. They ate all of the first 3 cuttings be- 

 fore they really began on the fourth or fifth. Those fed liberally on 

 grain and silage did not show such marked preferences for the earlier 

 cut hay. Dairy cows getting grain and silage did not discriminate be- 

 tween the first 3 cuttings, but avoided the later ones. Wethers fed all 

 the corn they would eat showed no preference. 



Based on yield of digestible nutrients alone, full bloom appears the 

 best time to cut timothy for hay, but other factors must be considered. 

 In the corn belt, the cutting must often be delayed because the cultiva- 

 tion of corn is then imperative. Immature grass is difficult to cure, the 

 weather early in the season is usually more unsettled, and the ground 

 cooler. When the crop is cut before the large storage of nutrients in the 

 bulbs has occurred, the stand of grass will be impaired, according to 

 Waters. The question is thus complex and must be determined from 

 local conditions. In general we may conclude that for dairy cows, 

 young stock, and sheep, timothy should be cut early, since these animals 

 do not relish hriy that is woody and lacks aroma, as does most late-cut 

 hay. For horses and fattening cattle late cutting is favored. These 

 animals subsist mostly on concentrates, and the hay they eat serves more 

 6 Vt. Bui. 152. 



