The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-07-07

1t IS still an unsettled question among
farmers whether it is better to cut grass
before, during. or after blooming; and
some even advocate, in practice. if not
in theory, the ripening of the grass before
moving. Upon this questiOnit seems to
us that some light may be thrown by
comparing the grasses proper with other
closely allied plants.
Take wheat, for instance. We all
agree that it attains its full value only
when ripe; but why? because this plant
is 50 constituted that it eXpends all its
energy in laying up within its seeds a
great quantity of starch, gluten, etc,
which are drawn directly from the stem,
leaves and roots, where they have been
elaborated from juices derived from the
soil, and where they are succeeded by
hard, woody, almost indigestible tissues.
Were we to use wheat rs Il haY-plant-
as is done ON the Pacific coast GER
aainly would not allow this transforIna-
ton TO take place, thus causing the sub
stitution of woody fibre for the nourish-
ing tissue of the young plant. and in
volving the large loss of the remaining
nutriment through the shattering of the
grain vet such course would be quite
as rational as that of permitting our
heavily seeded grasses such as timothy.
to ripen before cutting; for, although it
is true that the seeds of timothy bear a
much smaller proportion to the weight
of the whole crop than do those of wheat,
and do not abstract the nutrient constit-
ents- so completely from the stem and
leaves. vet they do abstract very con-
siderable proportion, and this portion IS
even.more completely withdrawn from
the value of the hay than it would be in
the case of ripe wheat-hay, as the seeds
of timothy are so small and their coats
so hard, that, if they are not shattered
from the hay before breaches sthe ufsil7
ger, they will escape being crushed by
mastication, and therefore will resist the
action of the digestive fluids,
We suppose that no practical farmer
will DENY that the smaller grass-seeds,
when mature, generally resistthe digest
i've processes; but, il There should be
such doubter, LET him examine with
microscope the droppings of a,horse that
has been fed on ripe hay; or letrhlm use
such droppings as .top-dressing on bare
land where it is desired that grass should
grow We have found this the speediest
way to re-seed sterile places.
A series of experiments quoted by
Prof. Jordan, of the Pennsylvania Agrl-
cultural College, in an article published
in the american Aq1Tcultztrtst, show that
there is a constant increase in the dry
matter of the hay-crop from the period
of blooming until that of ripening;f the
average weight per acre of eight crops
cut when headed out being 2,5S6 pounds;s
of eleven crops cut in bloom, 1886
pounds; of eleven crops cut when con-
siderably past bloom, 1882 pounds; and
of five crops cut when ripe. 3, AS pounds
In each case a series of plots of apparent
uniformity was selected, and the cutting
and harvesting done in a-pniform man
mer. The unavoidable errors connected
with such an experiment as this neces-
state a much larger number of repeti-
tions before we can accept the results OBJ
tanned as fully reliable; yet they maybe
accepted as showing that there is a con-
slant increase in the dry matter OF the
nlant nearly or quite up to the time OF
ripenino: but it is nevertheless evident
that a large part of this increase IL. rem
,iered unavailable for cattle food, through
tbe deposition of woody matter in the
.stens. through the breaking off of the
aeayes in handling, and through the
losses attendant upon the ripening OF the
seeds.
MANY of our best farmers advocate the
,c,utting of grass while in bloom; some
even insist that "a still earlier harvest
would give an improved quality OF for
age. reasoning from the fact that am
mails never thrive better than when iced
inc on the young grasses of the pasture:
bn1f we doubt -whethar.the hay secured
sy this extremely early cutting would be
found enough more valuable to coImpen-5
safe the loss in quantity, or TO pay for
the additional, labor of = second harvest
For ourselves we should prefer cutting
between the fall of the blossom and the
first hardening of the seed; but this
neriod is so short and so near the wheat
harvest. that for a large harvest it is
necessary to begin while the grass is yet
in full bloom. % TO delay the haying
until after wheat karyest-is to. allow the
prass to become not only rioe. but dead
Fine and thus to insure the losssof the
greater part of its value; such hay is, if
ANYTHING. inferior in nutrient qualities
to good wheat straw. as any well edu-
Gated COW or horse will affirm. form
,szkd Fsressde.