& MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



Neither of these grasses will yield much forage on poor 

 soils, even in Florida. 



CEREALS AND ANNUAL GRASSES FOR HAY. 



There are situations where it is best to sow some 

 grass that w r ill make a crop of hay soon after sowing. 

 There are regions where summer drouths make perennial 

 meadows impracticable, and there are emergencies on 

 most farms that make it expedient to sow some seed that 

 will quickly return to the farmer a crop of hay. Quite 

 a wide range of plants can be used for such purposes. 



Wheat Hay. In California winter wheat is the almost 

 universal hay, besides alfalfa. It is not so much sown 

 for hay as it is cut from the boundaries of the fields to 

 open places for the harvesters that follow as soon as the 

 wheat has ripened its grain. Cut before the grain has 

 formed, or just as it is forming, the straw is full of 

 sweet sap and the whole plant is palatable and nutritious. 

 Horses and mules work well on wheat hay, which is, 

 indeed, preferred by such animals to alfalfa. Barley is 

 used in the same manner. In eastern America rye is 

 sometimes cut for hay. In northern America oats and 

 peas sown together make excellent forage, and while 

 commonly fed green are sometimes cured into hay. 



Time to Cut Cereals for Hay. A principle involved 

 in choosing the time to cut any grain for hay is that 

 at blooming time the plant has gathered from the soil 

 about all that it will gather; it has stored in its sap 

 nearly all the nutrients that later will go to make the 

 grain. After bloom, the nutrients are gathered into 

 the grain and the stem steadily accumulates wood and 



