THE SMALLER GRASSES— STRAW 179 



plant, for when curing in the swath or windrow the leaves become dry 

 and brittle long before the stems are dry enough to allow the hay to be 

 stored. When clover or alfalfa hay is carelessly made and allowed to 

 become too dry most of the leaves may be lost, carrying a large part of 

 the feeding value of the crop. To avoid this the wilted material 

 should be raked into windrows before it has cured too much in the 

 swath. 



Measurement and shrinkage. — In computing the amount of hay in 

 a mow, it is commonly assumed that after settling 420 cubic feet of 

 timothy or 500 of clover hay equals 1 ton. To find the amount of hay 

 in a stack, the following rule may be used : * 



Multiply the width of the stack in feet by the "over" {i.e., the distance from 

 the base on one side of the stack over the stack and to the base on the other 

 side), divide the product by 4, and multiply the quotient by the length. This 

 gives the contents of the stack in cubic feet. To find the number of tons for 

 hay that has stood for less than 30 days, divide by 512; for 30 to 60 days, by 

 422; over 60 days, by 380. 



Hay stored in the mow will shrink in weight, due to drying out, and 

 also to fermentations taking place during the sweating process, in 

 which nutrients are broken down into carbon dioxid and water. The 

 shrinkage will vary, depending on the water content of the hay when 

 ]3laced in the mow, and may reach 20 per ct. or over. When hay is 

 stacked, the shrinkage is greater, since the outside of the stack is 

 exposed to the weather. A stack 12 feet in diameter has about one- 

 third of its contents in the surface foot. 



QUESTIONS 



1. When does grass contain the largest percentage of protein and at what 

 stage does it yield the most dry matter and total protein? 



2. What are the merits of Kentucky bluegrass? 



3. Why is timothy the great hay grass of this country and what are its bad 

 points? When should it be cut for hay? 



4. Discuss the value of red top, orchard grass, brome grass, and the millets. 



5. Wliat is the importance of the cereal grains for forage? 



6. Name and discuss the value of four grasses adapted to the South. 



7. What mixtures are most successful in your own locality for pasture and 

 permanent meadow ? 



8. Discuss the abuse of pasturage. 



0. How may straw be used in stock feeding? Compare the value of the dif- 

 ferent kinds of straw. 



10. Describe the method followed to secure the best hay. How is hay made 

 on a large scale? 



4 Barnes, Western Grazing Grounds, p. 



139. 



