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THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



175 



AGRICULTURAL. 



The Proper Time for Cntting Timothy. 



BY JAEED P. KJRTLAND, U. D. 



The proper time for catting timothy 

 meadows, with reference to securing the 

 best qualities of hay, has been a fruitful 

 subject of observation and remark. Little 

 or no attention has been paid to the influ- 

 ence of the time and manner of cutting, 

 over the health, permanency and produc- 

 tiveness of such meadows. A vague idea 

 prevails, among farmers, that if the mowing 

 be performed before the seed of this species 

 of grass is ripe, it will run out, from a fail- 

 ure to re-seed the ground. Every observ- 

 ing farmer has noticed that, in some . in- 

 stances, extensive tracts of timothy sward 

 have suddenly died, soon after the removal 

 of the crop of hay, while, in others, the 

 sward continued healthy, and for a series of 

 years produced abundantly of this grass. 

 The rationale of such opposite results, 

 under apparently similar circumstances, had 

 never been explained, so far as my informa- 

 tion extends. 



My neighbor, Richard McCrary, an in 

 telligent and practical farmer, has recently 

 {)resented me with the annexed propositions 

 and conclusions, as the results of his exper^ 

 ience on this subject. These he illustrated 

 by specimens of the grass, in every condition 

 which he alludes. It is hoped they will be 

 thoroughly scanned, by persons competent 

 to test their accuracy. If they bear this 

 test, to Mr. McCrary the credit of the dis- 

 covery of the facts solely belongs; and I 

 have no doubt the community will consider 

 him as having conferred an important ben- 

 efit. 



1. Timothy grass fPhleum pratense) is 

 a perennial plant, which renews itself by an 

 annual formation of "bulbs," or, perhaps, 

 more correctly speaking, tubers, in which all 

 the vitality of the plant is concentrated 

 during the winter. These form, in what- 

 ever locality the plant is selected, without 

 reference to dryness or moisture. From 

 these proceed the stalks which support the 

 leaves and head, and from the same source 

 spread out the numerous fibres, forming 

 the true roots, 



2. To insure a perfect development of 

 these tubers, a certain amount of nutrition 

 must be assimilated in the leaves, and return 

 to the base of the plant, through the stalk . 



3. As soon as this process of nutrition 

 is completed, it becomes manifest by the ap- 

 pearance of a state of desiccation, or dry- 

 ness, always commencing at a point directly 



above either the first or second joint of the 

 stem, near the crown of the ttiber. From 

 this point the desiccation gradually pro- 

 gresses upwards, and the last portion of the 

 stalk that yields up its freshness is that ad- 

 joining the head. Coincident with the be- 

 ginning of this process is the full develop- 

 ment of the seeds, and with its progress 

 they mature. Its earliest appearance is 

 evidence that both the tubers and seeds 

 have received their requisite supplies of nu- 

 trition, and that neither the stalk nor the 

 leaves are longer necessary to aid them in 

 completing their maturity. A similar pro- 

 cess occurs in the onion, just above the 

 crown of the bulb, indicating the maturity 

 of that organ. 



4. If the stalk be cut from the tubers, 

 before this evidence of maturity has appear- 

 ed, the necessary supplies of nutrition will 

 be arrested, their proper growth will cease, 

 and an effort will be made to repair the in- 

 jury, by sending out small lateral tubers, 

 from which weak and unhealthy stalks will 

 proceed, at the expense of the original 

 tubers. All will ultimately perish, either by 

 the droughts of autumn or the cold of win- 

 ter. 



5. The tubers, together with one or two 



of the lower joints of the stalk, remain fresh 



and green, daring the winter, if left to take 



their natural course; but if, by any means, 



this green portion be severed, at any season 



of the year, the result will be the death of 



the plant; 



From the foregoing cousideratioiis it is. 

 concluded: --»-.-- -y- - 



1. That timothy grass cannot, ander 

 any circumstances, be adapted for pasture; 

 as the close nipping of horses and sheep is 

 fatal to the tubers, which are also extensive- 

 ly destroyed by swine. 



2. The proper period for mowing tim- 

 othy is at any time after the process of 

 desiccation has commenced on the stalk, as 

 noted in proposition 3. It is not very es- 

 sential whether it is performed a week earlier 

 or later, provided it be postponed till that 

 evidence of maturity has become manifest. 



3. All attempts at close shaving the 

 sward should be avoided, while using the 

 scythe, and, in guaging mowing machines, 

 care should be taken to run them so high 

 that they will not cut the tunothy below the 

 second joint above the tuber. — [U. S. 

 Patent Office Report. 



*•»- 



Wool. — The South Bend Register hears that 

 wool sold last week at Niles, Michigan, at 40 

 cents per pound. 



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