68 FORAGE CROPS 
ing the first half of April in Pennsylvania and 
Ohio. 
Harvest and yields of orchard-grass 
Under favorable conditions, plants of orchard- 
grass reach a height of three to four feet. The 
leaves are abundant and coarse, although they 
make a very palatable and nutritious food if cut 
at the right time, which is just as the crop is be- 
ginning to head. The plant hardens very rapidly 
after coming into head. It can be used for eight 
to ten days only, providing cutting begins early 
enough. In average seasons, in the middle states, 
first cuttings can be made the last week in May. 
Under good conditions of soil and season, the 
yield for the first cut will range from five to eight 
tons of green forage per acre. 
Orchard-grass in bloom,— which is the latest 
period in its development when it can be used suc- 
cessfully for green forage,— contains about 27 per 
eent of dry matter. It is less nitrogenous than 
either rye or wheat; therefore, feed rations should 
be richer in protein than in the case of those two 
crops. 
When cut at the usual time, if immediately top- 
dressed, either with yard manure or a fertilizer, a 
second cutting may be secured the same season. 
The yield of this crop usually will not be so large 
as the first cutting, although the treatment of the 
