EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS 273 



aud one from the combined clippings of the timothy in the above experi- 

 ment were analyzed by the Chemical Department with the following 

 results: — 



Sample of timothy hay from single cutting. 



Water, 17.69 per cent. 



Water free substance : Per cent. 



Ash - 7.00 



Ether extract -.. 190 



Crude protein "'81 



Crude fiber - 40.21 



Carbo-hydrates --- 43-08 



Total 100.00 



Per cent. 



Total nitrogen.. - --- 1-25 



Albaminoid l-Oo 



Amide -20 



Sample of dried timothy from eight cuttings. 



Water, 63.9.5 per cent. 



Water free substance : Per cent. 



Ash 9 61 



Ether extract -- 4'61 



(^rude protein „2.„2 



Crude fiber.- 22.01 



Carbo-hydrates 41. lo 



Total - 100.00 



Per cent. 



Total nitrogen 3.62 



Albuminoid - - - l-*^ 



Amide - 2.17 



The percentage of nitrogen, represented as crude protein, is here about 

 three times as great in the clippings as in the ordinary hay, a larger por- 

 tion of it however being in the amide state which is of comparatively low 

 feeding value. Of the other food constituents the ether extracts or oils are 

 much more abundant in the young grass, while the carbohydrates, or 

 starches and sugars, are in somewhat greater amount in the more mature 

 fodder. The problem of the comparative economy of pasture and meadow 

 contains many factors. Even the food value of a given product depends 

 largely on the circumstances under which it is fed and the class of 

 animals employed. On the whole there can be little doubt that the 

 younger grass obtained from the frequent clippings is the more nutritious 

 and valuable, but apparently not suflBciently so to overcome its smaller 

 yield. It will benoticed that the moisture present in the dried grass from 

 the eight clippings at the time of the analysis was much greater than in 

 the sample of hay from a single cutting. This excess of moisture probably 

 gathered in large part after the sample was taken. The illustrations show 

 the relative bulk of the product in each case at the time the crop was 

 weighed. 



35 



