l6 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I9OI. 



south, weighing- much under 30 pounds., would contain a larger 

 proportion of crude fiber and consequently less nutritive value; 

 therefore the above statement as to feed value would only be true 

 as regards northern grown, or the heavier oats, weighing over 

 30 pounds to the measured bushel. 



OATS AS HAY. 



It is quite a common practice with many farmers to harvest 

 oats before the grain is mature and cure them for coarse fodder. 

 This is a verv desirable plan to follow at times when the hay 

 crop is short, or in localities where the land is badly infested with 

 noxious weeds like the Canada thistle or wild mustard, both of 

 which should be cut before they seed. 



The oat plant, however, is not an ideal one for making hay. 

 The stalks are hollow, coarse and hard, and unless dried very 

 quickly in a bright sun they become bleached, even when cut 

 green, so that they look little better than straw. To cure the 

 crop in its best condition and retain its bright green color and 

 palatability, it should be dried in a bright sun for a few hours. 

 with liberal use of the hay tedder when there is a heavy growth: 

 then raked together and the curing completed in the windrow 

 or cock, with as little exposure to moisture as possible. If the 

 weather is unfavorable, as is frequently the case during the lat- 

 ter part of July or first of August when oats are mature enough 

 to cut for hay. the}- are very liable to be seriously injured and 

 rendered unpalatable. 



Oats, however, when not sown too thickly, have an advantage 

 over other plants, which make more desirable hay, of being a 

 fairly good catch crop for seeding to grass, as they mature early 

 enough to allow the young grass to get a good start in the fall, 

 and for this reason are desirable on the farm. 



It is quite well known, and there is considerable experimental 

 data showing that most plants like the grasses, clovers, etc., usu- 

 ally grown for hay are at their best to harvest when in bloom, but 

 as regards oats there is very little available information indicat- 

 ing at what stage of growth they should be cut for hay making. 

 Accordingly some experiments were undertaken to determine 

 the comparative value of oat hay cut at different stages of 

 maturity. In 1897 a section of a field of oats was set apart for 

 these tests. The portion selected was covered with a fairly uni- 



