I. AGRICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMY. 



379 



to stand until it begins to ripen. The earlier cut hay has 

 been believed, however, to contain a larger percentage of di- 

 gestible nutritive ingredients, so that the nutritive value of 

 the greener fodder may be greater than that of the riper, 

 though its quantity be less. 



In Germany, Wagner has lately conducted some experi- 

 ments calculated to throw light upon this question. 



In a field of red clover, the soil of which was of uniform 

 quality, and had received uniform manuring and tillage, and 

 on which was an even stand of clover, three contiguous par- 

 cels, of about nine square rods each, were measured off, and 

 the clover mown as follows : 



Plot I. Just before the beginning of the blossom, May 22. 



Plot II. In full blossom, June 13. 



Plot III. Toward the end of the blossom, July 1. 



The amount and composition of the different crops are 

 shown in the following table, in which A gives the total 

 amount of the crops and their ingredients in pounds,* and B 

 the percentages of the ingredients : 



Amount of hay (air-dry) produced. 

 Containing dry substance 



Nitrogenous nutritive ingredients 



Non-nitrogenous nutritive ingred. 



Crude fibre 



Ash (mineral matters) 



A. 



Plot 



I. 



May 22. 



Plot 

 II. 



June 13. 



Lbs. 



85 

 73 

 11.8 

 30.6 

 21.9 

 8.8 



Lbs. 



114 



99 

 12.2 

 41.9 

 3G.4 

 8.7 



Plot 



III. 



July 1. 



Lbs. 



128 



112 

 12.8 

 46.9 



42.8 

 9.8 



B. 



Plot 



I. 



May 22. 



Lbs. 



85.9 



16.1 



42 



30 



12 



Plot 



II. 



June 13. 



Lbs. 

 87 



12.3 

 42.2 



36.7 



8.8 



Plot 



III. 



Julv 1. 



Lbs. 



87.5 

 11.2 

 41.9 



38.2 

 8.7 



The author calls attention to the following results of the 

 experiment as shown by the above data : 



"Although the amount of the crop, estimated by the 

 weight of dry substance, was greater in III. than II., and in 

 II. than L, vet the total amount of nitrogenous nutritive ma- 



7 J CD 



terials (which are the most valuable ingredients of the fod- 

 der) is nearly the same in all; while the percentage of these 

 decreased considerably during the period of growth." From 

 the 22d of May to the 1st of July there was an increase of 

 forty-three pounds in the amount of hay, and of thirty-nine 



* By pound is to be understood the German Zoll-Pfund, -which is about 

 Jxo lbs. avoirdupois. 



