MEADOWS AND HAY CROPS. Be 
GRAIN HAY. 
By far the greatest quantity of roughage in all the country traversed 
outside of the irrigated areas is produced by the cereals sown in the 
ordinary way and cut when the grain is a little under the *‘ dough” 
stage. Wheat, barley, and rye are especially the grains handled in 
this manner. In the Big Bend, in Washington, wheat furnishes 
almost the only hay in many places, the common practice being for 
“the farmer to get his hay crop from the edges of his wheat fields. 
The wheat fields are ‘‘trimmed up” ten days or two weeks before 
harvesting begins. This trimming consists in cutting two or three 
swaths around the field while the straw is still green. Many wheat 
raisers secure their entire hay supply in this way. It 1s also a com- 
mon practice when bearded barley is raised for the grain to sow a strip 
of wheat on the outside of the field, this being cut for hay. 
This method of producing hay was more general on the north slope 
of the Blue Mountains than in any other section visited. Two factors 
contributed to the importance of the grain hay crop here, this year at 
least. In the first place, the past season was very dry, and the wheat 
crop consequently was very poor. On this account many fields were 
cut for hay instead of grain when it became evident that the yield 
would be small and poor at best. In the second place, being on the 
border of the area where a demand exists for winter feed for stock, 
wheat hay is nearly as paying a crop as the wheat itself. 
Wheat straw is largely made use of here as a winter ration, espe- 
cially for cattle. The stockman usually buys a field of straw and 
stubble, and winters his cattle very often with no other feed. This is 
better than the short range of the present day, but the stock usually 
come out of the winter in.very poor condition. This method is a 
decided advantage to the wheat and hay grower, for, in addition to the 
ready cash, the land is improved by having the cattle upon it during 
the winter season. 
Rye is a very important hay crop all through the region, and it is 
especially good on the sandy and poor soils along the Columbia and 
Snake River bottoms and portions of the Eureka flats, as well as on 
better soil. It is by far the most productive sandy-land crop, but is a 
rather exhausting one when the grain is allowed to mature. It appears 
to be the leading hay crop in all new communities, and is very exten- 
sively grown 1n the Blue Mountains, where especially good crops were 
seen in the vicinity of Ulkiah and Izee. At the latter place it was 
estimated that more hay was derived from this source than from all 
others combined. 
Of the grain crops sown primarily for hay, the awnless form of 
barley is probably the one that is considered best. This is grown 
largely in the wheat regions of Washington and in the Blue and the 
25974—No. 38—03 oO 
