CATTLE FEEDING. 139 



The time at which hay is made is of the greatest importance, as 

 the youug phiiit always contains a larger per cent, of albuminoids, 

 and less crude fibre than when they are at a more advanced stage of 

 growth. Oxen were fed at Mockeru with clover cut before flowering. 

 May 20th ; then with clover cut after flowering, June 7th and June 

 20th, they digested respectively 71 per cent., 65 and 59 per cent. 

 of the albuminoids, and 51 per cent., 47 and 40 per cent, of the 

 crude fibre. The digestibility of the extractive carbohydrates was 

 not greatly affected. At Hohenheim the same effect was noticed in 

 feeding sheep with clover cut at four different periods ; the propor- 

 tion of digested albuminoids falling from 75 to 59 per cent., and that 

 of crude fibre from GO to 39 per cent. Many other experiments 

 showing the same fact might be adduced. The greater digestibility 

 of aftermath is undoubtedly due to the more or less tender condition 

 of the nutritive pi'inciples. 



The practice of aA^oiding the action of water upon hay, of choosing 

 as dr}^ weather as possible while hay making, is proved a very rational 

 one b}' actual experiments made at the station of Tharand. A spec- 

 imen of hay which had been exposed to rainy weather contained, 

 upon analysis, 2.1 per cent, albuminoids and 10.4 per cent, of car- 

 bohydrates and mineral salts less than ha}' from the same field, and 

 cut the same day, which had not been exposed to such weather. 



It is well known that grass grown on manured land gives a more 

 nutritive fodder, richer, especially in albuminoids, than that grown 

 upon unmanured or poorly manured land ; the difference being some- 

 times as great as 10 per cent. 



Clover. In the process of drying clover it is of great importance 

 to be very careful, as large quantities of the most nutritive elements 

 may be lost by careless management. The quantity of albuminoids 

 varies considerabl}-, though not as much as in ordinary hay, being 

 12 to 18 per cent. ; verj' young clover may contain as high as 30 per 

 cent, of albuminoids. An increase in the quantity of albuminoids 

 gives rise to an increase of their digestibility, that of the extractive 

 carboh^'drates does not seem greatly affected by the quantity of 

 carbohydrates present, while that of crude fibre is increased by a 

 higher per cent, of them. 



Rain}- weather is even more harmful to the preparation of clover 

 hay than to that of ordinary hay, the loss in nutritive elements 

 being far greater. It would seem that the most economical use of 

 clover is as a green fodder. 



