PERENNIAL FORAGE GRASSES 



6l 



to the time the seed is in the dough. Practical experience 

 shows that for horses, at least, the palatability is not materially 

 decreased. The indication is, therefore, that the cutting of 

 timothy may be safely postponed until after it is well past bloom. 

 All things considered, probably when the seeds are in the dough 

 would be the best time to mow timothy. 



59. Advantages. The great popularity of timothy as a hay 

 crop is due to the very satisfactory reason that it produces an 

 abundance of hay of good quality over a large territory and 

 on a considerable variety of soils. It is easily and cheaply 

 grown, rarely lodges, cures quickly, and there is little waste 

 in handling. The fact that it can usually be put into the barn 

 or stack soon after it is cut makes it possible to handle it with 

 a minimum amount of labor, and decreases the risk of having 

 the hay spoiled during inclement weather. The stage of 



s 



3 



2 



Timothy 



The percentage of undersized heads of timothy in field infested by the timothy joint- 

 worm. Scale of inches at right 

 (After Webster) 



maturity may vary considerably without materially influencing 

 its commercial quality and perhaps not greatly its actual feeding 

 value per unit of weight. The haying season may therefore 

 extend over a considerable period of time. 



60. Comparison of Timothy and Orchard Grass Seed. Com- 

 mercial timothy seed is cheap, clean, and ordinarily germinates 



