22 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



17. Time of cutting. There are five different criteria 

 which may be considered in determining the stage at 

 which to cut a crop of forage : 



1. When the plants can be most satisfactorily cured 

 either as hay or silage. 



2. When there is the least injury to the succeeding 

 cutting. 



3. When the greatest total yield can be obtained. 



4. When the degree of digestibility is greatest, especially 

 of the proteids. 



5. When the greatest total amount of digestible nu- 

 trients is obtained. 



The first criterion is of importance only in regions where 

 the climatic conditions can be predicted with some cer- 

 tainty. For example, in most of the Southern States 

 the weather In fall is quite likely to be more satisfactory 

 for curing hay than is midsummer. On this account the 

 cutting of some crops, like lespedeza and Bermuda grass, 

 is commonly postponed till then, while others, as cowpeas, 

 are planted so that they will mature at this time. 



The second consideration has some bearing on crops 

 that yield two or more cuttings. As a rule, the later the 

 first cutting is made, the smaller the second one will be. 



The third criterion would postpone the cutting of most 

 grasses until the seed is mature, and most legumes until 

 the leaves begin to fall off, as the total weight increases 

 until maturity except as there is loss from defoliation or 

 leaching. At this stage, however, most plants become 

 more woody and less palatable. 



The fourth criterion is unimportant from the fact that in 

 nearly all forage crops the digestibility is greatest when the 

 plants are young, and cutting at this time is at the expense 

 of a greatly reduced yield and greater difficulty in curing. 



