If in cutting this crop only the upper leafy parts were saved then the 

 higher percentage of protein might be taken as representing the value. 



COMPARED WITH OTHER FORAGE PLANTS. 



Digestion experiments with beggar-weed forage have not been 

 made, but judging from the comparison of the analyses with those of 

 red clover, the nutritive ratio would be about the same. There are 

 12.3 pounds of crude protein in 100 pounds of red clover hay, 15.3 

 pounds in crimson clover, 15.4 in soy bean, 16.6 in cowpea, and 14.3 

 in alfalfa. In the beggar weed the percentage of crude protein is 

 less than in red clover, because there is a much larger amount of 

 crude fiber due to the larger and more woody stems. The percent- 

 age of loss in feeding beggar- weed hay is accordingly greater. On 

 the other hand, the yield per acre is higher than that of red clover, 

 ranging from 3 to 5 or even 6 tons per acre, especially when two 

 crops are cut. 



BEGGAR WEED AS A FEED. 



Beggar weed hay may be fed to best advantage by adding to the 

 ration some coarse forage which contains a smaller amount of crude 

 protein and more carbohydrates. In this way all of the digestible 

 portion of the crude protein in the beggar weed may be utilized. If 

 more is fed than can be utilized, that is to say, if the nutritive ratio 

 of the ration is too narrow, the surpkis of crude protein will be 

 wasted. The crude protein is the nitrogenous muscle-making ele- 

 ment in the food, while the digestible carbohydrates, including a 

 portion of the fiber, and the fat, starch, gums, and sugars are used up 

 in producing heat and energy. Crude protein enters into the forma- 

 tion of lean meat and it is necessarj^ for a forage to contain enough 

 nitrogenous food to enable the animal to make new blood, tendon, 

 and bone, and a substantial increase in weight. Nitrogen enters 

 into the fibrin of blood, the albumen of muscle, the gelatine of bone 

 and tendon, and the casein of milk, and to a certain extent into the 

 surplus fat. For the production of new and the repair of worn out 

 tissues the presence of crude protein in the forage is essential. The 

 animal can not make satisfactory growth if fed a forage deficient in 

 crude protein. Hence the great value of leguminous forage crops. 



After the seed crop has been harvested, the beggar weed comes 

 up again, the rowen supplying fine pasturage until killed by frosts. 

 It never becomes a bad weed. The seeds do not sprout until the 

 ground is warm, and it may be used as a rotation crop, following 

 early spring vegetables or corn, the seeds remaining in the ground 

 and making their appearance after these crops are out of the way. 

 As a hay plant it is superior to velvet bean on account of the ease 

 with which it may be cut with an ordinary mower. It is also a 



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