MEADOW AND PASTURE GRASSES 



239 



deemed desirable to pasture with sheep, since they are apt to nip off the 

 crown of the plant and thus destroy it. 



Pasturing. — Timothy is distinctly a grass for hay rather than for 

 pasturing. It may be used in pasture mixtures to give early grazing, 

 and will give way to the more permanent grasses which are slower in 

 becoming established. It is a common practice to cut timothy for hay 

 purposes for one or more years and then pasture during the year just 

 preceding the devotion of the land to another crop. 



Field of Timothy Plants Grown for Selection, Showing Variation in Size 

 and Form of Individual Plants. 1 



Slips and seeds from choice plants are used for propagating new strains. 



Seed Production. — Timothy generally produces between five and 

 twelve bushels of seed per acre. It is most conveniently cut with the 

 self-binder, and is threshed with the ordinary threshing machine, using 

 special sieves to clean and separate the seed. Loss from shattering will 

 be severe if allowed to become over-ripe. If cut promptly the straw has 

 considerable feeding value. The principal seed-producing states are 

 Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas and Ohio. 



Composition and Feeding Value. — Timothy hay contains about 6 

 per cent of protein, 45 per cent of carbohydrates, 2.5 per cent of fat and 29 

 per cent of crude fiber. About one-half of this is digestible. 



farmers' Bulletin, 514, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



