68 FORAGE CROPS 



ing the first half of April in Pennsylvania and 

 Ohio. 



Harvest and yields of orchard- grass 



Under favorable conditions, plants of orchard- 

 grass reach a height of three to four feet. The 

 leaves are abundant and coarse, although they 

 make a very palatable and nutritious food if cut 

 at the right time, which is just as the crop is be- 

 ginning to head. The plant hardens very rapidly 

 after coining into head. It can be used for eight 

 to ten days only, providing cutting begins early 

 enough. In average seasons, in the middle states, 

 first cuttings can be made the last week* in May. 

 Under good conditions of soil and season, the 

 yield for the first cut will range from five to eight 

 tons of green forage per acre. 



Orchard-grass in bloom, — which is the latest 

 period in its development when it can be used suc- 

 cessfully for green forage, — contains about 27 per 

 cent of dry matter. It is less nitrogenous than 

 either rye or wheat; therefore, feed rations should 

 be richer in protein than in the case of those two 

 crops. 



When cut at the usual time, if immediately top- 

 dressed, either with yard manure or a fertilizer, a 

 second cutting may be secured the same season. 

 The yield of this crop usually will not be so large 

 as the first cutting, although the treatment of the 



