184 FORAGE CROPS 



Yield, uses, and quality of crop 



The yield varies widely, ranging from six to 

 twelve tons per acre. The early cuttings are not 

 rich in dry matter, although the average is higher 

 than for some other forage crops. The oats-and- 

 peas crop gives a relatively higher percentage of 

 protein than is obtained in wheat, rye or grasses, 

 and it serves a very good purpose as a balanced 

 ration. 



This crop also makes most excellent hay, pala- 

 table for all kinds of farm stock, and much richer 

 in the digestible nutrients than timothy, though 

 not so rich in protein as clover. It should be cut 

 for hay when at its best for forage, namely, when 

 the oats are in the milk stage, and when the peas 

 are forming pods. 



A larger yield of dry matter may be secured by 

 allowing the two crops to ripen, harvesting and 

 threshing the mixed grain crop, grinding the grain 

 and using it for feed and using the straw as rough- 

 age. The expense of this practice is much greater 

 than that of hay-making, and the yield of diges- 

 tible matter has been found to be no greater. An 

 experiment at the New Jersey Station^ to test this 

 point showed that while the cured grain crop gave 

 a larger yield of total nutrients than the crop cured 

 as hay, the expense of the former method was 



lAnnual Report for 1901, p. 278 



