524 CHEMISTRY. 



woody fibre, forming the cuticle or bran, wbicb invariably becomes rough and 

 thick as the grain approaches perfect ripeness. 



It is the same with many of the grasses, which are generally allowed to become 

 too ripe before they are cut for hay. With what are termed the artificial or cul- 

 tivated grasses this is especially the case. These are the most nutritious when iu 

 blossom, before the seed has commenced beiog formed. As the seed begins to be 

 developed, the stems and leaves become less adapted for feeding purposes to 

 animals, owing to the production of woody fibre in the stem, and of nutrient 

 compounds in the seed. From recent remarks, however, this does not appear to 

 be the case with all species of grass, — such, for example as are designated 

 " natural." It is noted in MortorCs Cydopcedia of Agriculture, the best recent 

 authority on these matters in the English language, that Cock's-foot grass 

 {Dactylis Glomerata) is more valuable when ripe than at the time of flowering, 

 in the proportion of seven to five ; Meadow Fox-tail or Timothy {Phleum Pratense) 

 in the ratio of fourteen to five; and that of Crested Dog-tail (^Cynosurus 

 Crislatus) yields twice as much grass when the seed is ripe as when coming into 

 flower, but that a given weight of it is only half as nutritious as when coming 

 into flower. Meadow Fescue (^Festuca Pratensis), again, is more valuable at the 

 time of flowering than when ripe, in the ratio of three to one ; and the tall oat- 

 hke grass {Holcus Aretiaceus) in the ratio of five to two. The seed of the sweet- 

 scented Vernal grass (Anthroxanthimi Odoratum), Meadow Fox-tail {Alopecurus 

 Pratensis), and Sheep's Fescue {Festuca Ovina) should be completely ripe before 

 they are mown ; and the Smooth-stalked Meadow Grass {Poa Pratensis), Hard 

 Fescue {Festuca duriusculd), and Quaking Grass {JBriza media), may be most 

 profitably cut and made into hay when in full blossom. In Canada, Timothy and 

 Clover form almost the whole of our meadow grasses, and they may be most 

 advantageously converted into hay as soon as their flowers are fully matured. la 

 meadows containing several species of grass, the best rule is to mow as soon as 

 the later kinds get into flower. In practice it may very safely be affirmed that? 

 as a general thing, people cut their grass too late. 



Haymaking may be said to be a somewhat delicate art, requiring the strictest 

 attention to the varying conditions of the weather. In this country, too much 

 exposure is a common fault, and hence our hay looses much of the delightful 

 aroma so generally characteristic of newly made hay at home. The great object 

 in hay-making is to retain as much as possible of the soluble, especially of the 

 organic compounds contained in the grasses. A gradual evaporation of the water 

 contained in the grass is preferable to a rapid process. If hay contain too much 

 moisture when put into ricks, the consequence will be that it will heat and decom- 

 pose ; that is it will become worthless for food to animals. Most hay in this 

 climate, saved in the ordinary way, contains from fifteen to twenty per cent., by 

 weight, of water. It takes, upon an average, about four tons of green grass to 

 give a ton of hay, and it accords with experience that a variable portion of the 

 nutriment of grass is lost in its conversion into hay. It has been found, from 

 careful experiments, that every 100 lbs. of grass contains 7 lbs. of matter soluble 

 in hot water, and 2 lbs. of matter soluble in cold water ; while the hay produced 

 therefrom contains only 4 lbs. and IJ lbs., the remainder having been dissipated 

 in the conversion of the grass into hay, G. B. 



