342 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



if the land had been previously top-dressed. The clover roots 

 growing deep, serve to keep the ground light and friable for the 

 roots of the finer grasses. These clover roots decay, and make 

 a deposit, in which is good food for the remaining grasses. 

 Again, a small amount of manure used as a top-dressing on 

 early-cut fields is worth and will produce much more than the 

 same put on late-cut fields (always apply the dressing as soon 

 after the crop is removed as possible). The heat and light of the 

 sun are all-important, but tlie young plants and rootlets re- 

 quire protection from its direct rays at certain seasons. By 

 applying certain chemicals, or in other words, by putting back 

 just the same compound in quality and amount that the gras3 

 has taken out, we may continue to grow from year to year good 

 crops of grass, if cut early. Experience and observation have 

 demonstrated the fact to my mind, that the proper time to cut 

 our English grass, without considering the effect upon the soil, 

 and with reference to crop and quality (in the term English I 

 do not include clover), is before the time the grass blossoms. 

 At this time it contains the greatest amount of succulent matter. 

 In converting grass into hay our object should be to cause as 

 little change as possible, preserving as nearly as we can all the 

 solid constituents in the same state as when the grass is young 

 and green. 



In grass cut at this state of growth, we have very little woody 

 fibre in the stem. When the woody fibre begins to form, all 

 the rich nutritive matter, such as starch, gum and a large 

 amount of sugar, are carried by a certain process and stored 

 almost entirely in the seed. At the time the seed has ripened 

 the stem of most of our cultivated grasses has become a hard, 

 dry substance like straw, and not much more fit for animal 

 food. Clover has three sorts of heads or blossoms. At the 

 time when the second blossoms are seen this crop is at its high- 

 est point of value ; therefore this most valuable crop should be 

 cut at this stage of its growtli, and if cured properly is as valu- 

 able to the farmer as any of his grasses. One ton of herds- 

 grass^ red-top or clover, cut at the stage of its growtli we have 

 indicated, and cured in the manner which wo shall indicate here- 

 after, will produce more milk or butter than the same weight of 

 late-cut hay, and dried in the ordinary way, even when fed 

 with a certain quantity of grain, fed daily to cows of equal 



