Studies were made on the influence of stage of maturity upon the feeding value of Italian ryegrass hay which was cut at the following four stages, viz, 1) vegetative stage, 2) stages between the periods of young panicle formation and the boot leaf, 3) stages between the heading and the before-milky and 4) stages between the flowering and the milky. Chemical analyses and digestion trials were conducted to evaluate feeding value of the hay. Sheep were used as the experimental animals. Italian ryegrass samples were collected by the same quantity on every cutting date during the periods of 20〜40 days for each stage, and were analyzed chemically. The results can be summarized as follows : 1. The digestibility of crude protein, crude fat, NFE and also crude fiber decreased with advancing maturity. 2. The DCP contents of the forages cut during the period of the vegetative-and the boot leaf stage were high (12.1〜21.0%), but these values decreased to 4.5〜8.6% with advancing maturity. In the vegetative period, the DCP contents of the forages cut during the period of late November and early March were greater than those of the forages cut at early and late March. In the forages cut during the period of the heading-and the before-milky stage, the DCP content of the first crop sown at later season was greater than that of the second or the third crops sown at earlier season. 3. The TDN contents of the forages cut during the period of the vegetative-and the boot leaf stage were high (70.4〜87.3%), but these values decreased to 58.7〜71.9% with advancing maturity. The TDN content of the first crop cut during the period of young panicle formation-and the boot leat stage was greater than that of the second crop. In the forages cut during the period of the heading-and the before-milky stage, the TDN content of the first crop sown at later season was greater than that of the second or the third crops sown at earlier season.

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Four experiments were conducted to clarify the influence of date and height of cutting on the original tiller regrowth and new tiller development of orchardgrass. Duration of each experiment was for 40 days after cutting. Cuttings were done on the following dates : April 25, August 2, September 20 and November 7. The plant material used in these experiments consisted of a single clone of Akaroa orchardgrass. Prior to the cutting, the plants were unified by the removal of excessive parts so as to be composed of 3 tillers per plant (main stem and 2 primary tillers) and roots of 10cm or less in length. Half the number of plants of each experiment were separated into 3 individual tillers to provide some information as to whether the tillers were physiologically interdependent or not. After this treatment, cuttings at 2 levels of heights, 3 and 6cm, were done both on separated and unseparated plants. Then 8 similarly treated plants were transplanted on each of the wooden boxes prepared for 8 to one treatment, e.g. the 3cm-cut-separated. In each experiment, responses of the tillers resulting from the various cutting dates, the degree of defoliation and separation of tillers were measured in the same manner 4, 12, 24 and 40 days after the cutting. The results obtained are summarized as follows : 1. The dry mater yield of the original tiller regrowth and that of new tillers were the highest in April-cut plants. The tillers cut in September also produced considerable top regrowth and a large number of new tillers next to the former, but the dry weight of new tillers did not reach even to half of the April-cut ones. On the other hand, cutting in August and in November produced unfavorable effect on the recovery of orchardgrass. Especially in the later cutting, the regrowth and formation of new tillers were markedly depressed due to a fall of temperature. The average percentages of dead tillers in April-, August-, September-, and November-cut plants were about 58, 20, 3 and 7 per cent respectively. High mortality of tillers in April-cut was largely due to the removal of shoot apecies at the time of cutting. Such tillers did not show regrowth but produced new tillers from the basal nodes. Excepting such mechanical injury, the dead tiller percentages were similar in April and in August. 2. The effects of cutting heights on the original tiller regrowth and new tiller development did not always indicate a consistent trend through the dates of cutting or the orders of original tillers. Though the dry matter production of each order of tillers did not differ with a defininite tendency between 3 and 6cm of cutting heights as mentioned above, the plant cut on the higher level was generally superior to that of the lower cutting with respect to the total dry weight of new tillers produced from 3 original tillers, the survival rate of tillers, the amount of reserve carbohydrates in the stubble and roots and its decreased rate. 3. The tillers formed earlier, in general, tended to produce more dry matter yields in regrowth and in new tillers. When the plants were cut in April, however, the main stems, that is, the oldest among 3 original tillers did not show any regrowth and were consequently inferior to the 1st primary tillers in the total dry matter production. 4. In most cases, the productivity of main stems increased by the removal of 2 primary tillers. On the contrary, the dry matter production of primary tillers often decreased by the separation from main stem. These results suggest that the original tillers may be metabolically interdependent at the early stage of regrowth. 5. The amounts of carbohydrates in the stubble and roots decreased for about 12 days following the cutting and, in general, turned to increase thereafter. The percentage of total nitrogen in the new tops was remarkably enhanced up to the 12th day after the cutting and then stagnated or else decreased. From these trends,

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Exp. 1 : Wilted chopped and unchopped silages were made from the mixture of orchardgrass and timothy in trench silos. Low fermentation temperatures were observed in both silages but after the silos were opened the temperatures of the unchopped silage increased up to 42℃ for a time. Higher pH and lower lactic acid contents were observed in the unchopped silage. Both silages showed similar dry matter composition but digestibilities of NFE, protein and fat by sheep in the unchopped silage were not significantly lower. Dry matter consumption, milk and four per cent FCM productions were significantly lower in the unchopped silage. Exp. 2 : Chopped and unchopped silage were made from the same grasses as Exp. 1. Wilted unchopped silage was made in the tower silo and chopped silage of high moisture was made in the same trench silo as previous experiment. Increase of tempera tures in the unchopped silage was not observed after the silo was opened but lactic acid was lower, and VBN were higher than the chopped silage as Exp. 1. Contents of NFE and estimated TDN were lower in the unchopped silage. A little higher consumption was observed in the unchopped silage because of low moisture but milk production was significantly lower in the unchopped silage as Exp. 1, and there were not significant difference in the four per cent FCM productions between both silages though milk fat content increased in the unchopped silage. From the results of experiments over two years, it was recognized that making unchopped silage of excellent quality was considerably difficult. So, when unchopped silage should be used, a little more concentrate must be fed to cows.

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This experiment was carried out to establish a culture method of forage crop which would secure balanced production throughout a year. This paper deals with change of botanical composition from Rhodes grass community (an annual grass of warm season type) to Italian ryegrass community (a biennial grass of cool season type) by sowing Italian ryegrass after clipping of Rhodes grass in autumn season. The results were as follows : 1. After clipping of Rhodes grass sward, Italian ryegrass was sown at the beginning of Sept. 1965, and no treatment of soil surface before Italian ryegrass sowing were made. 2. As the elongation of the shoot of Italian ryegrass seedling was vigorous, it did not suffer from severe shading under the regrowth community of Rhodes grass, and the top of its shoot always could receive enough light contributing to produce the dry matter of the grass. 3. About 30 days after sowing at the beginning of Oct., as the mixed sward of Italian ryegrass and Rhodes grass reached to the growth amount of 3000/m^2, namely their sward almost ceased the increasing of their dry matter accumulation and reached ceiling state, they were clipped with 3 different heights of 13, 10 and 6cm respectively. After 40 days, with mean temperature descending below 18℃, Rhodes grass ceased to regrow, and the regrowth velocity of Italian ryegrass became larger. And remarkable exchange of botanical composition from Rhodes grass to Italian ryegrass was recognized during the period of 30〜50 days after sowing. Sixty days after sowing, Italian ryegrass came to establish a pure stand.

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Ensiling experiments with Italian ryegrass were conducted in spring, 1965 and in autumn 1966 for the purpose of investigating the influence of level of initial air inclusion in ensiling on quality of high moisture silage. The per cent of volume of included air, which could be calculated from the ensiling volume, weight of materials in it and density of air-free materials, was used to express the level of initial air inclusion. Densities of air-free materials were 1.045±0.002 (g/cc) in spring materials and 1.037±0.007 (g/cc) in autumn ones. These materials were ensiled in small experimental silos at three levels of initial air inclusion, viz. 46%, 59% and 73% in spring, 42%, 57% and 71% in autumn, and two kinds of weight, viz. 325kg/m^2 and 81kg/m^2 in spring, 400kg/m^2 and 100kg/m^2 in autumn were applied in each level. In both seasons, the best quality silage was obtained at about 60% level of air inclusion irrespective of the weight, and the quality was better in the heavily weighted samples at the higher level of air inculusion and in the lightly weighted ones at the lower level of air inclusion. From these results it was suggested that the process of silage fermentation was fairly affected by the level of initial air inclusion in ensiling.

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Ensiling experiments with high moisture and wilted Italian ryegrass were conducted in autumn, 1966 for the purpose of investigating the influence of level of initial air inclusion on quality of silages ensiled by means of air-tightening or compression method. High moisture and wilted materials were both ensiled at three levels of quantities of 600kg/m^3, 450kg/m^3 and 300kg/m^3 in air-tightening and compression groups respectively, and in the latter, two kinds of weights of 400kg/m^2 and 100kg/m^2 were applied in each level. In high moisture materials, compression group was divided into two groups according to the drainage of squeezed juice, namely drained and no-drained groups. Per cents of volumes of included air in each level of ensiled quantities were 42.1% (600kg/m^3), 56.6% (450kg/m^3) and 71.1% (300kg/m^3) in the high moisture samples and 44.9%, 58.7% and 72.5% in the wilted ones respectively. The quality of high moisture silage was highest at 450kg/m^3 and it was lowered at 600kg/m^3 and 300kg/m^3 both in air-tightening and compression groups. In the latter, the quality of silage was hardly affected by the degree of compression at 450kg/m^3, while it was better in the lightly weighted samples at 600kg/m^3 and also better in the heavily weighted ones at 300kg/m^3. The effect of draining on the quailty of high moisture silage was not observed. The quality of wilted silage was highest at 600kg/m^3 and it was lowered at 450kg/m^3 and 300kg/m^3 both in air-tightening and compression groups. In the latter, the quality of silage was better in the heavily weighted groups at every levels of air inclusion. From these results it was suggested that (1) the process of silage fermentation was fairly affected by the level of initial air inclusion in ensiling both in high moisture and wilted materials, but its effect was more serious on the high moisture materials than on the wilted ones. (2) for the desirable fermentation, the proper level of initial air inclusion was about 55 to 60 per cent in the high moisture materials, and the desired level was less than 45 per cent in the wilted ones.

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Low-moisture grass silage was made in conventional tower silo with and without trampling during ensiling time. The two silages were compared of fermentation tempe-rature, dry matter loss and digestibility. And also, feeding value of the silage to growing dairy heifers were tested for 13 weeks. 1. Aftermath growth orchardgrass and ladino clover mixture was wilted by tedding from 30 to 45% of moisture content and ensiled by means of forage harvester in August and fed out during the following winter. 2. Two identical tower silos (diameter : 2.64m and height : 4. 75m) were used. One silo (Silo 1) containing 168.4kg of dry matter per cubic meter was tramped with 5 adults during the filling time and then sealed by vinyl water cap with 1, 100kg of water. The other silo (Silo 2) containing 123.5kg of dry matter per cubic meter was not tramped during the ensiling time and sealed by vinyl water cap with 2, 200kg of water. 3. Silage temperatures and pH are presented in Table 1. Silage temperatures in the well tramped silo were clearly lower than that of untramped silo. 4. Results of the digestibility trials are summarized in Table 2. The digestibility of well tramped silage was significantly higher than non tramped silage. It may be due to high fermentation temperatures. 5. Dry matter loss through top spoilage, spoilage during the feeding and gaseous loss by weighing in and weighing out method have been summarized in Table 3. Untramped silo lost greater amount of dry matter as visible spoilage and in gaseous form than tramped silo. High visible spoilage loss may be due to molding and refermentation during the feeding period. 6. Six Holstein dairy heifers (average 12 months old) were divided into two groups. The low moisture silage was fed ad libitum to both groups. And 0.5 and 1.5kg of concentrates per head daily were fed to group A and B. The results is presented in Table 4. Ad libitum feeding of low-moisture silage with 0.5kg of concentrates per head daily gave normal growth of dairy heifers.

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In Japan, 1967, unknown bacterial plant disease suddenly broke out on the fall sown oats field from March to May. The lesions of the leaf-blade were, at first small water-soaked, translucent specks, then gradually became elongate in the interveinal parenchyma to form brownish, translucent streaks. Among oats cultivated German Black was heavily infected, whilst White-Tarter was lightly attacked, but not North China. From its bacteriological characters of the isolates resembling to those of Pseudomonas coronafaciens, the symptoms of this oats disease, the authors identify the pathogen with Pseudomonas striafaciens (ELLIOTT) STARR et BURKHOLDER. The bacteriological characters of the pathogen are as follows : Cylindrical rods, 0.6〜1.2×1.8〜3.6μ, motile with 1 or 2 polar flagella, gram-negative. Aerobic, colonies on agar, pearl gray, round, raised, smooth, glistening and translucent. Brownish pigment produced in agar, but not fluorescin in KING'S agar. Gelatin liquefied and milk coagulated. Litmus and nitrates not reduced. Ammonia and levan produced, but not indol, hydrogen sulphide or acetoin. Metyl red negative. Acid but not gas produced from arabinose, xylose, glucose, fructose, galactose, mannose, sucrose, raffinose, glycerol, mannitol and sorbitol ; neither acid nor gas from rhamnose, lactose, maltose, starch, inulin, dextrin or salicin. Anaerobically neither acid nor gas from glucose. Aesculin and arbutin hydrolysed, starch and Tween 80 variable, but not margaline. Cytochrome oxidase and tyrosinase positive, but not oxidase, arginine dihydrolase or lecithinase. Oxidation of gluconate negative. Optimum pH and temperature, pH 6.6〜7.1 and 15°or 20℃, respectively. Thermal death point 47° or 49℃ Occurs naturally on Avena sativa. L.

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Japan, a predominantly mountainous and hilly country with proximity to the sea, needs precise study in topographycal and local climatic differences especially for its high-altitude grassland planning, with this as the objective, field studies and observations have been carried out for 3 years from 1963 on for acquiring scientific data on the reaction of grazing dairy cattle in such high altitude inclement environments, to set techniques for improvement of herd management and grassland development. Results obtained in this study can be summarized as follow : 1. Location of the three farms studied were Kiyosato (Yamanashi Pref. 1300-1400m-improved sown pasture, Jersey herd), Kirigamine (Nagano Pref. 1600-1800m-native grass_pasture, Holstein herd) and Tobira (Nagano Pref. 1600m-sasa pasture for winter grazing only, Jersey herd). All of them locate in the mountainous regions of central part of Honshu. Animals of Shinshu Univ. Farm (770m) and of Tokyo Univ. Farm (<50m) were also used as control in this study. Hachibuse pasture (Nagano Pref. 1800-19COm-native grass pasture) grazed in summer season by the animals of Tobira, was also studied. 2. As environmental factors ; characters of the climate, soil and vegetation, especially the seasonal fluctuation of the pasture herbage quality were investigated. a) Climatic conditions are characterized as features of rather cool summer (max. temp. rarely exceeds 25℃), long and severe cold winter (min. temp. often reaches lower than -15℃) with fairly high precipitation (1400-1600mm.) and year-round high humidity (>65%) except short spell of dry in August, frequent dense-fog in sumrner, and low atmospheric pressure (820-890mb.) throughout the year. b) Soils are of similar character, viz. very acidic (pH 4.0-4.5), phosphor-fixing, light soils of volcanic ash origin, in all pastures. c) Nutritive value of the pasture herbages seemed rather high ; in Kiyosato, sown pastures (50ha) were wisely managed since 10 years ago, and pasture herbages showed high crude protein content (22-26%) throughout the grazing season and high O.M. digestibility (78-79%). In Kirigamine, its native grass pasture (69ha) was used for grazing of young Holstein and Jersey stock of small number and its herbage quality showed fairly high crude protein content (10-12%), except that of late autumn (4-5%). In Tobira (13ha), sasa leaves were grazed by 13 Jersey stock under snow-covered condition in severe winter time, its crude protein content was±10%. Under such environmental conditions, the foliowing benefits were found in these 3 pastures ; firstly, rather cool summer favoured even growth of introduced pasture plant during the season than in lowland, and sasa leaves are very precious forage of fairly good quality for wintering especially as provider of ample amount of carotene. 3. Both native grasses in Kirigamine and sasa in Tobira showed rather low level of essential minor elements (Co : 0.16ppm. Cu : 4.1〜7.6ppm. Zn : 18.1〜30.8ppm), but herbages of sown pasture grown on the adjacent similar soil showed much higher level of such minor elements (Co : 0.33〜0.39ppm, Cu 11.0〜14.0ppm, Zn 47.8〜68.8ppm). 4. Through grazing behaviour observations both as herd and as individual, it was found that a) diurnal patterns of grazing and ruminating forms of dairy herd were quite rhythmical, b) grazing behaviour patterns of the herd were sensitively influenced by sudden meteorological changes such as rain- or snow-fall, c) in the system of grazing during day-light hours, as in case of Kirigamine and Tobira (also Hachibuse), grazing time was not so long as in case of Kiyosato, and rt/gt value (presented by HANCOCK) were always high, which means animals were not allowed to graze longer time to ingest needed forages. This understandings were supported by the results obtanined in grazing intake investigation simultaneously executed. d) in the system of day and night grazing, in the case of

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Several environmental factors have been suggested as contributing or diminishing factors for the flowering and seed setting in white clover. BEATTY & GARDNER^<2)> and LAUDE et al.^<11)> pointed out the importance of vernalization prior to reproductive phase. They also mentioned the effect of day length on flowering, saying that the long day condition accelerated flowering and increased flower number of the clover. GIBSON^<7)> and MACCLOUD et al.^<12)> found similar effect of day length in their experiments. BRITTEN^<3)> noticed the effect of temperature on the flowering of white clover in Hawaii. He thought the difference between day and night temperature would be the most important factor for the flowering in stable short day condition. Working on temperature and photoperiod, THOMAS^<15)> and BEATTY & GARDNER^<2)> found closely interrelated effect of the two factors. MILLER et al.^<13)> described the role of soil moisture in clover seed production. High soil moisture tended to reduce flower number and increase seed loss through in-pod germination. Genetically there is a wide range of variation in flowering habit. The strains in lower latitude tend to produce flower profusely than the strains from the north when compared in a short day condition^<1, 4, 8)>. It has been widely believed that the seed production of the clover in Japan would be unpractical because of the high humidity throughout the flowering season. But very few fundamental studies have been so far made on the direct or indirect effect of environmental factors which would be responsible for the difficulty in seed production of white clover in this country. The study reported here had been planned to get the informations of the effect of day length and soil moisture on the balance of reproductive and vegetative phases in different types of white clover. Italian ladino, Wilkla witte weideklaver and Louisiana Nolin's improved white clover were subjected to two levels of day length and soil moisture through-out the year of 1961. Natural day length in Chiba (35°N, d_1) was expanded to the simulated day length in 45°N (d_2) by artificial lighting. Soil moisture in high moisture series (m_2) was kept so as not to reduce the level of 60% of maximum water holding capacity of the soil, whereas low soil moisture series (m_1) was kept untouched. Investigations were made throughout the growing season on following dates : April 25, May 30, July 6, Aug. 8, Sept. 20 and Oct. 30. Flower number and herbage yield were recorded together with the contributing components for both characters. Split-split-plot arrangement made it possible to give not only the effect of main factors but the interactions, if any, between them. Long day treatment increased flower number remarkably in Italian ladino and Wilkla witte weideklaver whereas La-N remained unchanged. Effect of day length was so obvious with the increased rate of 4 times in Italian ladino and 2 times in Wilkla witte weideklaver at their peak of flowering when the number of flowers per square meter was 350 and 480, respectively. In Wilkla witte weideklaver long day treatment made its flowering time earlier. La-N did not react to the day length. Natural day length in Chiba would be enough or more than enough to initiate blooming for La-N. Flower number in La-N was 850 at its peak. Soil moisture in m_1 and m_2 indicated similar moisture level up till May depending on the plenty rainfall in spring, but clear difference was observed by the onset of dry season thereafter. Effect of soil moisture on flower number was not so obvious but high soil moisture tended to reduce flower number and accelerate vegetative growth of the clover. This phenomenon resulted in the failure in maturity of fertilized ovules and reduced the number of plump seeds. Long day treatment reduced leaf size, leaf area index, stolon numbers and diame

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