ORCHARD GRASS. 143 



Pasturing orchard grass the season that it is sown 

 should be avoided unless the plants are vigorous and 

 the growth luxuriant. But where both the conditions 

 named are present, pasturing may follow without hazard 

 in the autumn and in mild climates also in the winter. 



Harvesting for Hay. Since orchard grass quickly 

 matures after the heads appear, it should be cut for hay 

 with promptness as soon as it comes into flower, or, what 

 some consider better, as soon as the flowers have fallen 

 in part or in whole. If not cut until a later stage, the 

 stems quickly become woody and the hay loses much 

 in palatability. For this reason and for the further 

 reason that orchard grass matures for hay in a busy 

 season, no more of it should be kept for hay than the 

 grower can harvest at the proper time. When cut it 

 should be cured in the winrow or cock rather than in 

 the swath. Complete curing by the last named method 

 would also result in a loss in palatability. When cured 

 in the cock the natural greenness of the hay is best main- 

 tained, but the labor in curing is greater than when 

 cured in the winrow. In curing heavy stands of this 

 grass the tedder may of course be made to render good 

 service. Since orchard grass takes much more injury 

 from rain than timothy, every necessary attention should 

 be given that will hasten the curing of the hay. Such 

 attention is all the more needful because it is generally 

 ready to be harvested late in May or early in June, 

 when showers are usually not infrequent. 



After the first cutting the grass springs up again with 

 much vigor when the conditions for growth are favor- 

 able. When it has grown again for several weeks it 



