| Show jl v wh when e n to cut grassy olover clover etc I 1 for ray bay A correspondent ej of the ohio farmer earmer says I 1 have lately observed several articles on the best time to cut clover clever for forage purposes some giving a certain day of the month as the result of their experience most of these articles are opinions as the result of observations and experience but I 1 have not seen any based on chemick vegetable reas reasons ouis outs the true basis on which can rest with safety all agricultural operations erat ions all valuable plants used as fodder contain in a state of solution in their sap certain nutritious substances which are very desirable to retain in the hay after grazing off the acque ous solvent this evaporation is called curing and if it properly done dene retains all the nutritious el embrits elements and removes the water while the amount of bf these substances retained t the h e nutritious mutters constitute tle the real value of the fod der seeing this is the state of things then the best time to cut these I 1 plants undoubtedly is at the time that they contain these substances in the greatest abundance wholly regardless ot of the day of either the month or the week it is a well established fact in botany that the sanie plant mont Sont contains alus ains at diffie different rent stages of its growth different quan titles of sap and of varied chemical qu aMies and of course the nu matters obey the bame universal law A law too of equal universality plants grow a as 4 long as they live and during this ibis period of growth if healthy there is a a uniformity in their sap sapo both in quantity and quality but at dimmer differ different ent eDt periods arise great grest changes in both thus when they begin to make preparations for fructification by the gradual for formation madon of floral envelopes for the protection of the deli dell delicate catt organs of procreation then a destined change neues in the chemical constitution of the sap soon after the seed has reached its em state the flower not being of bf any further use to the plants planta well being loses its vitality and drops ond off at this change the sap undergoes another change its nutritious matters are und the whole energies of the tie plant and everything available in it is called into requisition towards the perfection of the seed feed the chief object of dofita its existence S so much so Is this action and its ener glee required that in many plants it is attained by complete exhaustion and death of thes this whole plant except its seed this id Is the case with wity all annuals in herbaceous perennials as in lu most of our gras grat grasses ses this takes place with overy every part but that which remains under ground which remains there to recuperate cu by rest reit until the following year if it it is desired to cut plants to secure the largest percentage per pen of sap tap charged with the greatest of nutritious matters then they ought to be cut as near as can be at the time that the flo fio flower is dropping ot off irrespective of the day of the month or the age of the moon then carefully removing the watery part by drying recollect recollecting lne ine thit the contained nutritious matters are not volatile but remain in the hay which when thus cured atida sweet palatable nutritious fodder fod tier tien these principles apply to all our forage plants clover gra grass etc used as nay hay and are not ba bap ed on experience or observation which taken alone are neither always rei liable nor safe guides in agricultural but on scientific principles which when perfectly applied never mislead |
