142 HAY AND CUT OnERN FODDER. 



balanced by the benefits accruing therefrom. In frosty localities, 

 if tall dense grass protects small seedlings, it, on the other hand, 

 makes it very difficult for them to rise above it, as it increases by 

 several degrees the intensity of the cold. Heavy frost will lie 

 upon the grass in grassy land, when on bare open land the temper- 

 ature may be several degrees above freezing. In the case of high 

 temperatures, however, surrounding and overtopping grass is near- 

 ly always beneficial. For young seedlings struggling in the midst 

 of grass, cutting the grass is a much better and surer means of 

 getting rid of it than grazing, with all its attendant risks. On 

 this account grass-cutting should be encouraged as much as possible 

 wherever it will lead to a diminution of grazing. The closing of 

 the forest areas in Ajmere against grazing has not only resulted in 

 the possibility of growing forest on dry, bare, rocky hill-sides, but 

 even in an increase in the production of fodder, so marked as to be 

 freely recognised by the population itself, which clamoured most 

 against the measure on its introduction only 15 years ago. But 

 the grass-cutters must be warned to be careful not to cut off seed- 

 lings with, the grass, and the use of scythes should be strictly pro- 

 hibited. 



Green grass from the forest can be used only by people living 

 within the distance of a day's journey. Hence for a more general 

 utilization of the fodder, it should be converted into hay, the pre- 

 paration of which must, therefore, now be described. 



Grass for hay should be cut immediately it is in full bloom. 

 After this period, the formation of seed robs the stem and leaves of 

 potash, nitrogenous matters, and phosphates, and the carbo-hydrates 

 are converted into coarse fibre, so that the graSfS becomes poorer 

 in nutritive substances and the proportion of indigestible fibre 

 increases. Moreover, the further vegetation of the plant and the 

 progress of fructification continue to exhaust the soil without 

 any compensating advantage. At any rate, the grass should be 

 cut before the seed is fully formed. As soon as the grass has been 

 cut, it should be spread out to dry. If not dried quickly enough 

 it would ferment, the sugar in it being converted into alcohol, 

 which would both destroy its flavour and nutritive value, and cause 

 it 10 lose the well-known fragrance of hay. The alcohol also 

 dissolves out the green colouring matter of the chlorophyll, so 

 that hay that has not been dried quickly enough is yellow and not 

 greenish. At the same time it must not be dried too ^quickly, 

 otherwise it becomes too hard and is not so nutritious and diges- 

 tible as properly dried hay. On the approach of evening, the 

 grass, now partially dry, should be collected into heaps, so that the 



