6. The Accurate Determination of Dry Matter in Forage Crops 1

Potage crop workers are at a distinct disadvantage compared to cereal workers in the computation of the yields of the crops with which they have to deal in that the whole plant must be used as the basis of comparison rather tha~ the ripened seed. Many and varied are the pitfalls into,which one may fall in the determination of even as simple ~ consideraciou as the relative amounts of dry matter in the various fodder crops. A few of the variables will be discussed in the present paper. The first phase of the subject to be discussed, while not as logically falling under the title presented as the phases to be discussed later, is just as germane to the whole question of accurate yield determination. This is the influence of the inclusion of border on the total dry matter content of the plat concerned. At the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, are a large number of strains of western rye grass. These have been planted in a manner that lends itself to a study of border influence. Western rye grass is self-fertilized, consequently the strains are in reality pure lines. The plants comprising the strains reported on were all planted in cold. frames and later transplanted to field plats, the spacing in all cases being one plant to each 6-inch square, thus giving the same number of individuals in each plat in the variety test. Table i presents the results secured with a few of the strains which differed to a noticeable extent in morphological characteristics.