The Grasses Including Indian Com. 



173 



total dry substance, representing one-fourth of its original nutritive 

 value. Marcker^ found the loss in meadow hay exposed to a pro- 

 longed rain to be 18.4 per ct. of the dry substance. This heavy with- 

 drawal of the soluble portions of the hay leaves proportionally more 

 woody fiber and indigestible matter in what remains. 



238. Changes in ripening grass. — Hunt of the Illinois Station- 

 conducted extensive studies of the changes which occur in maturing 

 grasses, securing the following data relative to the timothy plant: 



Yield of one acre of timothy cut at different stages. 



Stage of growth when cut 



Full bloom 



Pollen and X anthers shed . _ 



Seed in dough 



Seed nearly ripe 



Dry 



matter 



Lbs. 

 3287 

 3423 

 4021 

 4064 



Lbs. 

 224 

 228 

 273 

 239 



Crude 

 protein 



Lbs. 

 240 

 225 

 246 

 253 



Carbohydrates 



Fiber 



Lbs. 

 1056 

 1155 

 1380 

 1377 



N-free 

 extract 



Lbs. 

 1602 

 1663 

 1960 

 2058 



Lbs. 

 165 

 152 

 153 

 137 



The table shows that between full bloom and the ripe-seed stage 

 the acre of timothy gained nearly 800 lbs., or over 23 per ct., in dry 

 matter. There was but little increase in crude protein or ash, and a 

 small decrease in fat. In carbohydrates the increase in woody fiber, 

 which is low in feeding value, was over 300 lbs., and the gain in 

 nitrogen-free extract, which is valuable in feeding, was over 450 lbs. 

 By referring to Ladd's study of the maturing corn plant, (16) it 

 will be seen that timothy resembles corn in storing great quantities 

 of food material, especially carbohydrates, after the bloom period. 

 In this marked way the grasses differ from the clovers, since the 

 latter, as Hunt has also shown, (250) practically close their work of 

 food building with the bloom period. 



239. Time to cut grass. — For dairy cows, young stock, and sheep 

 grass should be cut early, since these animals do not relish hay that 

 is woody and lacks aroma, as does most late-cut hay. For horses 

 and fattening cattle late cutting is favored. These animals subsist 

 mostly on concentrates, and the hay they eat serves more for "fill- 

 ing," as horsemen say. In any case the harvest should not be too 

 long delayed, however, lest the grass become tough and stringy and 

 the seeds shatter. In trials with early- and late-cut timothy for fat- 

 tening steers, Sanborn^ found that late-cut hay gave better returns. 



Loc. cit. 



Bui. 5. 



Ept. N. H. Board of Agr., 1880. 



