Oxford Democrat., 1916-09-12
Growing Timothy.
ELEMENTARY INFORMATION, BUT TWILL
DO NO HARM TO READ IT.

/
| Department Bulletin.)
Timothy ordinarily is grown in mix.
lures, usually with red clover or with
red and alsike clovers. In the New Eng.
land States and parts Of New York red
top commonly is added to the mixture
Alsike clover is especially to be recon.
mended on poorly drained soils that
have tendency to heave, as under such
conditions it generally will come through
the winter better than red clover. On
advantage. The first crop OF hay is
composed chiefly of clover. After the
| first year most of the clover disappears
and the following hay crops are made up
almost entirely of timothy or OF timothy
and redtop. In some of the irrigated
valleys of the Northwest alfalfa is sub
stituted for clover in mixture with tim
othy.
SEEDING
Timothy generally is sOwn with wheat,
rye, oats, or barley, which commonly
are referred to as nurse crops. The first
hay crop is produced, as rule, the wear
after the grain crop is harvested. When
seeded with spring grains the timothy
seed, together with the clover or grasses
to be grown in mixture with il, Is sown
at the same time az the grain. When
winter grain Ia used as nurse crop either
a portion or all of the timothy seed may
be sown with the grain or In the spring
with the clover. When sown in early
spring the timothy may be broadcasted
with one OF the various types of hand
seeders aud left on the surface OF the
soil TO be covered by alternate freezing
and thawing; or seeding NAV be DELAYED
until the surface of the soif (bas become
somewhat dry, when the seed should be
covered with q spike-tootb harrow.
Timothy may be sown alone in the fall
and crop Of hay harvested the follow
ing season. In the latitude OF northern
Ohio and southern New York the best
results may be expected when the seed
is sown from about August 25 to Sep
tember 10, though an excellent stand is
sometimes obtained when sown as late
as October /. II clover is to be grown
with timothy, the clover seed may be
sown on the field early in the spring and
left on the surface of the soil to be COW
cred by freezing and thawing.
Timothy seed always should be sown
on well-compscted seed bed, otherwise
the conditions will be unfavorable to the
proper development of the young plants.
The quantity of seed to be used will
depend somewhat on the condition of
the soil, but on the average from 10 to II
pounds per acre have been found quite
satisfactory. If mixed with clover, from
to 10 pounds of timothy and 10 pounds
of red clover, or 5 pounds of red clover
and pounds of alsike clover are gener-
ally recommended.
MANAGEMENT OF TIMOTHY MEADOWS
Timothy usually is grown in rotation
with other crops. the timothy commonly
occupying the land for two or three
years during each rotation. Where there
is a good stand of timothy the yields
may be increased by top-dressing the
meadows with either farm manure or
commercial fertilizers. The former may
be spread on the meadow during the fall,
winter, or early spring. Commercial
fertilizers should be spread on the land
in the spring, soon after the growth of
grass has commenced. When normal
prices prevail, nitrate of soda may be
used alone at the rate of 100 to 200
pounds per acre, or 1t NAV be used in
combination with $50 to $50 pounds per
acre of acid phosphate.
Timothy meadows may be pastured to
some extent after the hay crop has been
harvested. When the meadow is to pro-
duce a hay crop the following year,
however, care should be taken not to let
the stock Craze the grass very closely,
and when the ground is soft animals
should be kept off the meadow.
HARVESTING THE HAY CROP
Timothy growing in mixture consist
ing largely of red clover should be cut
when the clover is in full bloom or just
past full bloom.
When timothy is growing alone it
should be cut as soon as possible after
the plants have passed the stage of full
bloom.
II timothy is to be harvested for seed,
it should be cut after most OF the heads
are mature and when the seed Is begin
ming to shstter from the tips of the earli-
est spikes. 1t may be cut with grain
binder, shocked until cured, and thrash
ed with an ordinary thrashing machine.
The yield of seed usually varies from
about 200 to 800 pounds per acre, though
larger yields are sometimes obtained. If
the ripe timothy is harvested without
much damage from rains, the straw has
considerable feeding value.