OTHER GRASSES OF SECONDARY IMPORTANCE 207 



230. Hay. Meadow fescue should be cut for hay 

 just as it comes into bloom, if the best quality is desired. 

 The hay is somewhat stemmy and rather laxative. No 

 American feeding experiments are reported, but the hay 

 is as palatable as timothy, and stockmen consider it more 

 fattening for cattle. It is probably too laxative to use 

 exclusively as horse feed. 



In favorable moist seasons a crop of hay can be cut 

 after one of seed is harvested, but this second crop is 

 mainly leaves and but few culms. 



Meadows fertilized with barnyard manure remain 

 productive a long time, in some instances as high as 17 

 years. It is considered better practice, however, to allow 

 the fields to lie but 5 or 6 years. 



The average yield of hay in Kansas is given at 1 to 1.5 

 tons to the acre, but on fields fertilized with barnyard 

 manure, these yields may be doubled. 



Acre yields have been reported from various experiment 

 stations as follows : Ohio, 2100 pounds, average of 6 

 years ; Kansas, 2155 pounds, average of 4 years ; Illinois, 

 3775 pounds ; Michigan (Upper Peninsula) , 6070 pounds ; 

 Utah, 2200 pounds ; Idaho, 5280 pounds ; Arlington 

 Farm, Virginia, 3080 pounds; Nebraska, 2400 to 3450 

 pounds. 



At the Illinois Experiment Station the yield of dry 

 substance was found to be 1424 pounds to the acre when 

 in full bloom, and 1954 pounds when the blooming was 

 completed. 



European authorities give the yield of hay as ranging 

 from 3500 pounds to 10,000 pounds to the acre. 



231. Seed-production. Meadow fescue should be cut 

 for seed as soon as the fields assume a characteristic 

 yellowish-brown color and the heads begin to droop from 



