I have already shown the importance of reaping in proper season--not less necessary is it to mow before the plants ripen fully, and even before they flower. The results of the experiments of Stöckhardt, Hellreigel, and Wolff, in relation to this point, are very interesting, and are well worthy of reproduction here. RESULTS OF STÖCKHARDT'S AND HELLREIGEL'S EXPERIMENTS. --------------------------+-----------------------++----------------------- | Stem. || Leaves. +-------+---------------||-------+--------------- | | Hay. || | Hay. | Water +--------+------|| Water +--------+------ | in |Flesh- | || in |Flesh- | | Fresh |forming | Ash. || Fresh |forming | Ash. | Plant.|Matters.| || Plant.|Matters.| +-------+--------+------||-------+--------+------ Clover cut on the | | | || | | 4th June, quite young | 82·80 | 13·16 | 9·71 || 83·50 | 27·17 | 9·42 23rd " ready for cutting| 81·72 | 12·72 | 9·00 || 82·68 | 27·69 | 9·00 9th July, beginning to | | | || | | flower | 82·41 | 12·40 | 6·12 || 77·77 | 15·83 | 10·46 29th July, full flower | 78·30 | 9·28 | 4·63 || 70·80 | 19·20 | 9·58 21st August, ripe | 69·40 | 6·75 | 4·82 || 65·70 | 18·94 | 12·33 --------------------------+-------+--------+------++-------+--------+------ RESULTS OF WOLFF'S EXPERIMENT. -------------+------------------------------++----------------------------- | Red Clover. || Alsike Clover. +--------------+---------------++---------------+------------- | Beginning | Full || Beginning | Full | to flower, | flower, || to flower, | flower, | 11th June. | 25th June. || 23rd June. | 29th June. +--------------+---------------++-------+-------+------+------ |Fresh.| Hay. | Fresh.| Hay. || Fresh.| Hay. |Fresh.| Hay. +------+-------+-------+-------++-------+-------+------+------ | pct. | pct. | pct. | pct. || pct. | pct. | pct. | pct. Water | 83·07| 16·66 | 76·41 | 10·66 || 86·98 | 16·66 | 82·60| 16·66 Ash | 1·43| 7·04 | 1·67 | 5·90 || 1·12 | 7·17 | 1·45| 6·94 Woody fibre | 4·24| 20·87 | 8·88 | 37·37 || 3·79 | 24·26 | 5·11| 24·47 Nutritive | | | | || | | | substances | 11·26| 55·43 | 13·04 | 46·07 || 8·11 | 51·91 | 10·84| 51·93 -------------+------+-------+-------+-------++-------+-------+------+------