No. 4.] GRASSES AND FORAGE CROPS. 



195 



lost in the harvesting ; or, if retained, it is too small and 

 hard to be acted upon by the digestive system of the animal. 

 The increase in the crude fibre helps to encase and lock up 

 the other food nutrients which are of greater value, and 

 which might have been available if the crop was cut before 

 the crude fibre had so largely developed. The difference 

 between the digestibility of hay cut in different stages of 

 growth lias been clearly shown in experiments by Dr. Jor- 

 dan while at the Maine Experiment Station. From these I 

 have selected five which show the contrast between the 

 early and late cut timothy hay. Two of these may be 

 classed as early cut and three as late cut. The difference 

 in favor of the early cut is 13 per cent for the protein, 5£ 

 per cent for the fat, 7 per cent for the nitrogen free extract 

 and Hi per cent for the fibre. In other words, the early- 

 cut grass averaged about 10 per cent more digestible than 

 the late cut. 



Digestibility of Timothy lie;/, Early and Late Cut. 



Organic 



Matter 



(PerCent). 



Protein 



(PerCent). 



Fat 

 (PerCent). 



Nitrogen 



Free Fibre 



Extract (PerCent). 

 (PerCent). 



Early cut, 

 Full bloom, 

 Past bloom, 

 Two weeks past, 

 Late cut, . 



61.0 

 67.0 

 56.0 

 52.0 

 59.0 



Average of two "early 64.0 



cut." 

 Average of three "late 55.5 



cut." 



59.0 

 60.0 

 45.0 

 45.0 

 50.0 

 59.5 

 46.5 



59.0 

 62.0 

 51.0 

 43.0 

 53.0 

 60.5 

 49.0 



Grasses for Pastures. 

 In growing grasses for pasturage, entirely different con- 

 ditions exist from those which exist where grasses are to be 

 grown for hay. A fresh, vigorous growth is needed through- 

 out the entire season. This cannot be obtained where only 

 one or two kinds are grown. Some grasses start into 



