THEOET AND PRACTICE. 301 



it stands much longer, the leaves begin to die at the 

 bottom, and the grass grows tough and hard ; and I 

 think the longer it stands, the less it will weigh when 

 dried. If it is cut much earlier, it will shrink and dry 

 up, and does not seem to have so much nutriment in it ; 

 and I have noticed cattle will eat more in bulk than 

 when cut at the right time." And stiU another : " The 

 time, of cutting depends very much upon the use you 

 wish to make of it. If for working oxen and horses, I 

 would let it stand till a little out of the blossom ; but, if 

 to feed out to new milch cows in the winter, I would 

 prefer to cut it very green. It is then worth, for the 

 making of milk in the winter, almost double that cut 

 later." One other extract will suflSce. " I cut my 

 red clover before the heads begin to turn brown. 

 When the clover is quite heavy I cut it when only one 

 half of the heads have blossomed, because then cattle 

 will eat aU the stems. Clover is injured more by half, 

 when it stands long after blossoming, than any other 

 kind. I find my clover hay in the barn much heavier 

 when cut quite early." 



These extracts, taken at random from a large number 

 of letters from practical farmers, in different parts of the 

 country, indicate very clearly the prevailing practice. 

 The replies from about one hundred and fifty different 

 individuals show that farmers prefer to cut the prin- 

 cipal grasses, Timothy and redtop, when in full blos- 

 som ; red clover, when about half the heads are in blos- 

 som ; and swale grass, before it is ripe, and generally 

 before blossoming, if possible, so as to prevent it from 

 becoming hard and wiry. 



This practice is unquestionably founded on a correct 

 principle, the object of the farmer being to secure his 

 hay so as to make it most like grass in its perfect con-- 

 dition. From principles stated in another place, it has 



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