MAKING HAY. 293 



" Purely chemical facts favor very strongly the idea that a 

 pound of dry substance, as existing in Timothy when in bloom, 

 is more valuable than a pound of dry substance at any later pe- 

 riod, in much the same way (but in a less degree) that a pound 

 of dry substance in young pasture grass is more valuable than 

 the same quantity of material in the mature plant." 



The following opinion, based on experiments, by Prof. J. W. 

 Sanborn, of Missouri, differs from the above : He recommends 

 cutting grass, mostly Timothy, as soon as one-fourth part of the 

 heads were in bloom, and other lots ten days later, when out of 

 bloom, and after the seed had begun to mature. After repeated 

 trials in feeding steers, and cows giving milk, he says the results 

 indicate, not only that the amount of hay gathered from a given 

 area are much larger when cut after bloom than when cut in 

 bloom, but the late-cut hay was more nutritious. He believes 

 that Timothy or clover hay, particularly the former, is worth 

 more per pound, and for Timothy thirty-five to forty per cent, 

 more per acre, for cutting when sufficiently out of bloom in pref- 

 erence to cutting in bloom or before blooming. From some ex- 

 perience he concludes that this is also true of corn fodder, and 

 he is inclined to believe it is true of most vegetation. 



The writer thinks it very doubtful whether it is best to cut all 

 forage plants at the same stage of advancement. 



Most farmers, as a rule, prefer to cut clover when a few of the 

 first heads begin to turn brown. 



If the grass has made a pretty good growth, and the bottom is 

 not wet from damp weather, it is the safest plan to begin haying 

 early. Something will very likely interrupt so that the grass 

 last cut will be older than it should be for good hay. 



Unless the weather is favorable it is difficult to cure well a 

 thick growth of very young, succulent grass. 



When the growth is thick, some of the lower leaves begin to 

 decay, while those at the top are gaining. To save all the leaves 



