The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-06-29
TIME TO CUT HAY.

The writer has made various experiments, not
| as critical, however, as an experimental farmer
| should do, but to our own satisfaction. Our eN'
perience has inclined us TO decidedly favor cut
ting timothy not later than when in full blossom
| Cut and well cured without sunburning, at that
period, cattle eat it better and eat tup cleaner,
and thrive better on it, than when cut at any Ia
| ter period. And so far careful farmers have
| given their experience this has been the almost
| universal testimony. And we are more particu-
| lar in impressing this on our readers, from the
| fact that are about to introduce to them an
| experiment which goes to show the reverse of all
our notions and experience. And as this is al
| important question, We breach the subject few
| weeks before hay harvest, SO that any of our
| readers who have experimental, may give their
opinions, which We hope they will do.
| Prof. Sanb0rn, of the New Hampshire Agricul-
tural College, has been making some more care
| full experiments than any ordinary farmer can
make without more trouble than most farmers
are willing to ineur. But agricultural colleges,
| where they have experimental farms attached.
| are inst the institutions to demonstrate these
questions. Prof. SanbOrn says the college had
| three acres of timothy seeded all at the same
time, and all being the same quality of soil, and
the same kind and quality of fertilizers were
used on all of it. The three acres were divided
| into three lots, with the utmost precision rs to
| quantity of ground. The lots staked ont,
| and cord stretched from stake to stake, and cut
exactly to the line.
| lhe nrst No. 1, was cut when ntiiHt'i,
weight when dried, 3,G;s5 pounds per acre; in
| spring, 2,35l pounds. The second crop was cut
| twenty-one days after, when seeds had formed
weight dried, 1855 pounds; in spring 2,3Si
pounds. Each lot was fed to steers, in lots.
Lot one, fed on early cut, weightof steers, ,442
| lot =, fed on later cut, weight of steers, 40
| pounds. Lot one ate for thirty days, 1.3ii
| pounds of hay, and gained seventy pounds. Lot
| ate ,33S pounds, and gained seventy
pounds. Before the trial, in a fitting period OF
| fifty seven days. lot gained l52 pounds, and
| lot ., l62 pounds. They were even growers. The
| third lot was cut two days after bloom, which
| gave less gain than either of the other two.
After the expiration of first thirty-five days
the feed was reversed with the two lots of cattle
| lot one taking the late cut hay, and lot two the
early cut. After the change. those on the late
| hay ate less, but made the best Use Of the hay
| eaten.
| We give this experiment for what it is worth
| 1t ought TO be valuable. But, as in court, a
slight error in an important witness, may change
case, admission throws suspicion on the
| whole experiment. 1t was the third lot of grass
| which was cut between the time of the two
| Others, ''gaye less gain than the other two
| There is disposition among careless farmers "a
always put off any part of farming rs long as
| possible, and we fear that the experiment of a
| creditable college possibly deciding that cutting
| timothy when the seed is well formed will be an
| excuse for much bad farming, and cause many
poor horses and cattle from eating hay bat little
/ better than dry sticks. Good farmers, what dG
| yon think of it !-Iord Register.