Time of Cutting Timothy: Effect on the Proportion of Leaf Blades, Leaf Sheaths, Stems, and Heads and on Their Crude Protein, Ether Extract, and Crude Fiber Contents 1

T HE proportion and chemical composition of the morphological parts found in the portion harvested for hay of the various leguminous hay plants when cut at different stages of maturity have been determined by a number of investigators. As a result of these studies the percentage of leaves has been used as an important factor in appraising the quality and feed value of legume hays. Similar detailed studies have never been made of the grasses used for hay. This paper presents some preliminary studies with reference to the proportion of leaf blades, leaf sheaths, stems, and heads of timothy harvested at different stages of maturity and their respective crude protein, ether extract, and crude fiber contents. A review of the literature showed that a number of the agricultural experiment stations had collected data on the relation between time of cutting and yield of timothy hay per acre. Waters3 reported, in addition to the yields, the composition of timothy hay cut at different stages of maturity. Trowbridge, et al., 4 reported on the yields and composition of the heads, stalks with attached leaves, stubble, and bulbs for timothy cut at different stages of maturity. The stalks with attached leaf sheaths and leaf blades were not studied individually by these investigators, although they cited a need for such information.