THE SMALLER GRASSES— STRAW 177 



of better roughage. The statement that the stringy fiber of flax forms 

 indigestible balls in the stomachs of farm animals is unwarranted, 

 since it is digested the same as other fibrous matter. Green-colored 

 straw from immature flax plants should be fed with extreme caution, 

 as it may contain enough prussic acid to be poisonous. Buckwheat 

 straw has little value, and may cause digestive disturbances if fed in 

 large amount. Properly cured rice straw is excellent for stock. 



III. Hay-Making 



Converting green forage into hay was probably the first step in 

 changing the wandering herdsman into the farmer-stockman. To-day 

 over seventy million tons of hay are produced annually in the United 

 States, and thruout the temperate zone hay is the common roughage 

 for all the larger animals of the farm. 



Nutritive value of dried grass. — Trials have shown that grass drild 

 under perfect conditions has as high nutritive value as when fed in 

 the fresh state. However, in actual haymaking more or less of the 

 nutrients are always lost, due to loss of leaves and exposure to sun- 

 light, dew, and rain. Meadow hay exposed to prolonged rain may lose 

 as much as 18 per ct. of the total dry matter, and legume hay still more. 

 In a trial at the Colorado Station 3 alfalfa hay exposed to 3 rains, 

 aggregating 1.8 inches, lost 31.7 per ct. of the total dry matter. The 

 actual damage was even greater than this, for, while practically all of 

 the fiber remained, 60 per ct. of the crude protein, 41 per ct. of the 

 nitrogen-free extract, and 33 per ct. of the fat was lost. 



Hay-making. — The ends sought in making hay are to reduce the 

 water content to about 15 per ct., so that the hay will keep when placed 

 in the stack or mow, and yet to secure bright green color, good aroma, 

 and freedom from dust, and to retain the leaves and other finer parts, 

 which, especially with legumes, easily fall off. During the process 

 fermentations produced by enzymes occur, which develop a charac- 

 teristic aroma. 



A good but rather expensive method of securing prime hay is to mow 

 the grass as soon as the dew is off, allow it to lie in the swath until dry 

 on the surface, then turn by hand or tedder, or rake into loose wind- 

 rows. Before the dew falls make into cocks, and, if dry enough so 

 that it will not mold, allow it to remain in the cock till it has passed 

 thru the "sweat." With legumes it is well to protect the cocks frqim 

 rain by hay caps. After the sweat, open the cocks in large flakes. 

 The hay will then soon dry out enough to be hauled to the barn or 

 stack. Where the grass is green or damp -when cocked, it may be 



aHeadden, Colo. Bui. 111. 



