Research by Wheeler indicates that the time required to field cure 

 forage depends upon the percentage of moisture of the forage at the 

 time of the cut.i^ After the initial moisture has dropped to about 65 

 percent, 1 day less is required to field cure forage than when the initial 

 moisture is above 65 percent.!^ Since the initial plant moisture of first 

 crop forage steadily declines and reaches 65 percent on approximately 



75 t- 



oe. 



>■ 

 txi 

 O 



LU 

 CQ 



I— 

 (O 

 LU 



o 



z 



IIJ 



u 



10 



DATE OF CUT IN NUMBER OF DAYS AFTER MAY 31 



Figure 6. Relation Between Date of Cut and the Digestible 

 Dry Matter of First Crop Forage 



June 30, first crop forage can be field cured to 20 percent moisture in 

 1 day after June 30 if a crusher is used. Second crop forage is never 

 field cured in 1 day to 20 percent moisture because the initial moisture 

 never drops to 65 percent or below. 



13 Wheeler, W. C, et. al.. Hay Conditioners in the Northeastern United States, 

 W. Va. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bui. 449, 1960. 



14 Boyd, M. M., "Hay Conditioning Methods Compared," Agricultural Engineer- 

 ing Journal, 4:664-668, November 1959. 



16 



