, — 30 — ! ;• 
Rep. 18S8), is also somewhat higher than mine, showing an 
average for hay, supposing it to contain 8 per cent, mois¬ 
ture, of 3.31 per cent., for drilled alfalfa and 3.02 
oer cent., tor broadcast. The minimum is found in the third 
cutting, broadcast, with .53 per cent. As four cuttings were 
made they were probably cut quite immature. The per¬ 
centage of fat, however, in Mr. Voorhee’s samples agrees 
quite well with our farm samples, first cutting. None of 
the analyses show that there is as a rule more fat in the dry 
material of the very early cutting than in that of maturer 
plants. 
Using the coefficients of digestion, 46 for crude fiber and 
68 for nitrogen free extract, these being the average of 
the coefficients found by the New York and Colorado sta¬ 
tions for the respective substances, we find the total diges¬ 
tive carbohydrates, neglecting the fats, to range between 
36.41, as a minimum, and 40.51, as a maximum, ora variation 
of 4.1 per cent., including samples cut green, beginning 
bloom, half bloom, and full bloom, as well as the first, sec¬ 
ond and third cuttings. The proteids, as‘stated under this 
topic, appear to attain their maximum at the beginning of 
bloom and remain practically stationary until half bloom, 
or a little later, when they diminish rather rapidly. This 
period, during which the loss and the gain in the proteids is 
nearly equal, is the most advantageous time to cut for hay, 
both for quantity and quality, so far as the composition is a 
criterion. Hay possesses certain general qualities which 
make it acceptable to the animal and which are not depen¬ 
dent upon the composition. Many persons, I am informed, 
give preference to the second or third cutting for certain 
feeding. The composition of the respective cuttings shows 
but very little difference, the following figures giving the 
averages for each:— 
Ether Crude Digestible 
Extract. Proteids. Carbohydrates. 
First cutting... 1.54 ....14.85 3&-°3 
“ “ . .-.... 13.98* 
Second cutting.1.40 ....14.43 .38.06 
Third cutting.. 1.46 .... 13.03 . 39* 1 5 
The average precentage of proteids for the third cut¬ 
ting is based upon the two samples of hay, which alone, 
would not be sufficient, but the average for the samples 
from the farm department makes it only 13.47 per cent., 
and the results of Mr. Voorhee’s analyses give, for the third 
cutting of hay, allowing 8 per cent, moisture, 13.67 per cent. 
These figures for the first and second cuttings are nearly 
* Not including samples cut May 5th. 
