290 MAKING HAY. 



**lt cut early tlu'ii' is a gn-at advantage) to tho Hououd crop, U0 

 hIiowu by uii t'.xpt'rimeiit at lIohenlR'iiii: 



Onofut... 

 Two cuts. 



IVrrciitam' 

 of I'ri)tt>ln. 



Totul ikiuikIn ' Totnlitrynint- 

 of I'roti'In. I tvr, ixiiindM. 



16.3 

 24.4 



484 



668 



2,662 

 3,274 



"Tho following tabk', taken from ('lirmiHti'tj nf flic Fann, 

 shows tho pprcontago conijiosition of meadow grass cut at three 

 different dates in the same field. Tiie first eutting will repre- 

 sent i)astnre grass fed otf in the green state hy stock : tho seeond 

 cutting is good ordinary hay ; the third cntting is an over-ripo 

 liav, somewhat coarse and stemmv, but Avell harvested. 



Date of Cuttint;. 



May 14. 

 June 9.. 

 June 26. 



" These numbers speak most decidedly in favor of early cutting. 

 When the fodder was cut twice, not only was the quality far bet- 

 ter, as shown by the percentage of protein, but the absolute 

 quantity both of protein and of dry matter per acre was nearly 

 one-half greater. When Ave take into account the greater di- 

 gestibility of the young hay, the gain becomes still greater. Ex- 

 periments indicate that the richest fodder and the largest yield 

 of digestible matters per acre may be obtained by cutting two 

 or more crops of comparatively young grass in a season, rather 

 than one crop of over-ripe vegetation. 



" In practice, however, the fertility of the soil, the length of the 

 season, the kind of grass, the cost of labor, etc., have to be con- 



