174 



FARM CROPS 



of farm animals." The speaker was correct in his 

 estimate of oat hay. It is a superior feeding stuff. 

 When cut sufficiently early, horses, cattle and calves 

 relish not only the grain contained in it, but find 

 the straw appetizing and nourishing. 



In those sections where hay is always at a pre- 

 mium this method of harvesting is doubtless best, 

 and even where hay crops flourish well it may still 

 be preferable to make hay of the oat crop rather 

 than to harvest the crop, thresh the grain and in the 

 end to feed both straw and grain to the farm stock. 

 Is this not worth thinking about? 



" You wish to sell the grain," I hear some one 

 say. Very well ; in that case you will be obliged 

 to allow the crop to fully mature before harvesting 

 it. You will secure your seed as well. It seems 

 reasonable that, all things considered, where hay is 

 scarce, it is better to make hay of the entire crop 

 than grain and straw and then be obliged to either 

 purchase hay or be short in roughage material. 

 This is of somewhat more importance where the 

 ordinary hay crops flourish only with difficulty, 

 being thereby scarce and costly. 



The Feeding Value. — When we compare oat hay 

 and timothy we find that the former is superior, as 

 seen in the following table : 



