GREEN FORAGE AND HAY CROPS 



113 



II. HAY FROM LEGUMINOUS CROPS 



Value of Legumes. The legume family is of the greatest value 

 to the stock farmer in two respects: 



1. The legumes enrich the soil with nitrogenous components 

 which have been built up largely from the free nitrogen of the air 

 by the bacteria found in the root nodules of the plants of this 

 family. As the nodules decay their nitrogenous compounds are 

 taken up by the host plant and go to increase the nitrogen content 

 of these plants. The legumes are, therefore, often spoken of as nitro- 

 gen gatherers, or " soil renovators " or " improvers." Deep-rooted 

 legumes, like alfalfa and red or mammoth clovers, will leave in the 

 roots and stubble a large proportion (one-half or more) of the 

 nitrogen substances elaborated from the atmospheric nitrogen dur- 

 ing the growth of the plants, and, on their decay, the nitrogen 

 compounds are broken down, forming humus and inorganic nitro- 

 gen compounds (nitric acid), thus adding to the supply of soil 

 fertility. 



2. Legumes furnish larger proportions of protein and valuable 

 mineral components, lime, phosphoric acid, and potash available 

 for feeding livestock than the grasses. Hay from leguminous crops 

 is nearly twice as rich as that from grasses, and larger crops per 

 acre are also obtained than from grasses. The average composition 

 of hay from grasses and from leguminous plants will be seen from 

 the following table : 



Average Composition of Hay from Grasses and Legumes, in Per Cent 



Assuming that common grasses will yield two tons of hay per 

 acre and clovers and other leguminous plants three tons, the latter 

 will furnish from two to four times as much protein per acre as 

 the common grasses, together with as much more fat and somewhat 

 more carbohydrates. They also contain nearly three times as much 

 nitrogen and about twice as much potash as does hay from grasses. 5 



The more general culture of legumes and the production of 

 hay therefrom during the last couple of decades have come largely 

 as a result of the teachings of modern agricultural science, and are 



5 Farmers' Bulletin 1C. 

 8 



