12 FODDER AND PASTURE PLANTS. 



green food the whole season. On the other hand, they are not good 

 for hay, as most of the leaves are rather close to the ground. Timothy 

 and similar grasses are less adapted for pasturing, as their bunchy 

 growth and shallow root system make them liable to be uprooted 

 or at least injured by tramping. But this type of grass furnishes 

 excellent hay. 



The development and duration of a grass are also factors to be 

 considered. Some start growth very early in spring, and are valuable 

 when early hay or pasture is required. Others, starting late, are 

 rather slow and are desirable for late hay or pasture. Some grasses 

 are short-lived and die after the first or second year; Italian Rye, 

 for instance, may be used in a short rotation, but is of no use for 

 permanent pasture. Most of the perennial grasses reach full de- 

 velopment the second or third year after sowing, and are valuable 

 when permanent pasture or hay is desired. 



One variety is rarely grown alone, except when intended for seed, 

 as mixtures of grasses or grasses and clovers generally give a higher 

 yield of better quality. Orchard Grass, for instance, is generally 

 grown with other varieties. If grown alone, it would be coarser, 

 less digestible and less palatable. The farmer's demand for the 

 maximum yield of the best obtainable quality has led to the use of 

 mixtures which give the heaviest possible returns in hay or pasture 

 of the highest feeding value. 



To obtain a heavy yield it is not sufficient to choose grasses 

 which are heavy producers when grown alone. They must be adapted 

 to the soil and climate and be able to thrive together and make the 

 best possible use of every inch of ground. When hay is desired, 

 the worth of the mixture depends not only on the value of the indi- 

 vidual grasses, but also on their ripening together. An ideal mixture 

 is composed of species which reach the flowering stage at the same time. 

 The proper time to cut for hay is generally during early flowering. 

 If very early and very late grasses are grown together, the return 

 will be comparatively small and the quality of the hay inferior. Which 

 species should be used depends upon the soil, rainfall, and other 

 factors. 



Clovers are often grown with grasses because such a mixture gives 

 a better balanced feed and does not rob the soil of as much fertility 

 as would grasses alone, which are heavy feeders. A ton of Timothy 

 hay contains about eighteen pounds of nitrogen, six and one-half 

 pounds of phosphoric acid and from twenty-eight to thirty pounds 

 of potash. This is rather more than would be returned to the land 

 by a ton of ordinary green farmyard manure. If no fertilizers are 

 applied, it is evident that continuous crops of Timothy would rapidly 



