2S£ ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



ply of succulent food for every day in the year. The growth ct forage 

 crops, therefore, is advantageous, even for the man whose practice is 

 to pasture, because these crops will supplement shortages due to 

 drouth or inadequate supply of food, due to the watery character 

 of pastures during wet seasons. 



The matter of the food in forage crops is also one which requires 

 some study, owing to the variability of the crops, both in their con- 

 tent of dry matter, and in the proportion of the nutritious compounds 

 contained in them. In the case of fine mill feeds, we have pretty 

 full knowledge concerning their composition and nutritive value, 

 and furthermore, the various mill products, as bran, middlings, etc., 

 contain practically the same total amount of nutrients, varying only 

 in the proportions and digestibility of each. In the case of gieen 

 feeds, on the other hand, wide variations are likely to occur in the 

 amounts of dry matter contained in them. For example, corn in the 

 stage of maturity in which it would be most suitable for feeddng, 

 will contain 25 per cent, of dry matter, whereas certain of the millets 

 and other crops, very desirable for soiling, oftentimes contain as 

 little as 10 per cent. The ton basis of comparison, therefore, which 

 is the usual basis, is not as safe a one as in the case of dry feeds 

 of the same general character. This point of variation in the case 

 of different crops should be taken into consideration, together with 

 that other important one, namely, the influence of the amount and 

 proportion of the different nutrients. It is now well understood, 

 that those crops which belong to the cereal group, as corn, sorghum, 

 millet, etc., are carbonaceous in their character, and if fed exclu- 

 sivel}-, if such a practice is ever desirable, does not give best results, 

 but is wasteful, while the feeddng of leguminous crops, exclusively, 

 would result in supplying a much larger proportion of protein than 

 is necessary ©r even desirable, which is also wasteful. In other 

 words, the two classes of crops would be more economically used 

 together, than if either were used alone. This line of investigation 

 has also proved valuable in showing the possibilities of intensive 

 farm practice. It has been demonstrated that for the climate of New- 

 Jersey, crops may be so arranged as to furnish a continuous supply 

 of green forage from May 1, to November 1, and the yields have been 

 sufficient to provide from one acre food enough for four cows for this 

 period. This may not be possible in your shorter season, though I 

 am satisfied that with a careful study of the ad'aptability of a number 

 of these crops to your conditions, a very largely increased product 

 may be obtained. The crops that have been found especially use- 

 ful are discussed in the order of their use. The amount fed per day 

 will range from fifty to as high as eighty pounds, depending upon the 

 character of the forage, whether very watery or reasonably dry, and 

 upon the supply; when a great abund'ance is obtainable, larger 



