FEED VALUES OF FORAGE CROPS 259 



important, for it is necessary that our forage crops yield 

 well in order to obtain the largest returns from a given area 

 and to support the largest possible number of animals. 



A good forage crop must have good seed habits; that is, 

 the seed must be produced quite abundantly, be easily har- 

 vested, and retain its germinating power reasonably w^ell, 

 in order that it may not be too expensive to justify its com- 

 mon use. It must be easily eradicated when it is desirable 

 to replace it with some other crop. A perennial forage 

 plant to be used in meadow^s and pastures must be vigorous 

 and hardy enough to cope successfully with weeds and other 

 unfavorable conditions of growth, yet its habit of growth 

 must be such that it can be destroyed readily when the land 

 is plowed and planted to some other crop. A few of our 

 good forage grasses are desirable in every particular except 

 this, but their usefulness is largely limited on account of 

 the difficulty of disposing of them when desirable. Among 

 crops of this class may be mentioned quack grass, Johnson 

 grass, and Bermuda grass. 



330. Comparative Feeding Values of Different Forage 

 Crops. The amounts of digestible nutrients in 100 pounds of 

 the more important forage plants are shown in the ac- 

 companying table. These figures are presented here for pur- 

 poses of comparison, and reference will be made to them 

 from time to time in the pages which follow. The digestible 

 nutrients in corn and in wheat bran are also presented. 



REFERENCES 



Cyclopedia of American Agriculture, Vol. II, Bailey. 



Grasses of North America, Beal. 



Farm Crops, Burkett. 



Forage and Fiber Crops in America, Hunt. 



Productive Farm Crops, Montgomery. 



Forage Crops and Their Culture, Piper. 



Farm Grasses of the United States, Spillman. 



Forage Crops, Voorhees. 



Meadows and Pastures, Wing. 



