121 



for cutting hay: "Young plants while rapidly growing contain relatively 

 more protein and less fibre than more mature ones; consequently early 

 cut fodder must be of better quality than that cut late. It is more 

 digestible. 



''Three elements enter into the problem of selecting the best time for 

 cutting, viz.: the quality of the fodder, its quantity, and the amount of 

 labor expended upon it. While any grass is ripening a large part of the 

 protein and starch passes from the leaves and stem to the seeds, which 

 are so small that they are seldom masticated or digested. Moreover, 

 they are easily lost in curing. The hay made from fully ripe grass is 

 essentially straw. 



."If only one crop is to be obtained, probably the best time for cutting 

 is usually when the plants are just beginning to blossom. At this time 

 a larger crop is obtained than if cut earlier, while the digestibility is not 

 seriously impaired/' 



If cut early there is a great advantage to the second crop, as shown 

 by an experiment at Hohenheim: 



One cut Percentage of protein, 16.3; total pounds of protein, 434; 

 total pounds dry matter, 2,662. 



Two cuts Percentage of protein, 24.4; total pounds of protein, 668; 

 total pounds dry matter, 3,274. 



"The legumes are characterized by the large proportion of protein 

 contained in the plant as a whole, and in the seeds. As fodders, when 

 properly cut and cured, they are very rich, but have the disadvantage of 

 being rather bulky, and of being easily subject to deterioration by me- 

 chanical losses. As a general rule clover is richer in nitrogenous matters 

 than grass. Compared with meadow hay, which is made from the true 

 grasses, its protein is about equally digestible, its crude fibre decidedly 

 less digestible." 



Full instructions have been given in Parts I and II as to the proper 

 method of curing the different varieties of hay and forage plants. With 

 the improved harvesting machinery and implements now in general use 

 consisting of the mower, tedder, horse-rake, six-tined pitchfork and hay 

 wagon bodies, the expense attendant upon saving a crop of hay is not 

 one-fifth as great as it was when farmers had to rely upon the scythe, 

 wooden pitch-forks and hand-rake. This great reduction in the cost of 

 harvesting the hay crop has increased the product many times throughout 

 the Southern States. 



In 1880 the production of hay in these states was 1,412,358 tons; in 

 1898, 4,386,669 tons. The yield has increased from .82 of a ton per acre 

 in 1880 to 1.45 tons per acre in 1898. The increase in the State of Ten- 

 nessee has been still more rapid as may be seen by the following table 

 from the census report; 



