CHAPTER XIX. 



GLOVERS. 



Use. — The clovers are of vast importance to our 

 agriculture. They are important as a part of a 

 whole : 



1. They help to balance our food ration. The 

 great bulk of oui* agricultural productions in the 

 United States, either in grain or coarse fodder, are 

 from plants belonging to the grass family. These 

 plants produce an abundance of starch and other heat- 

 forming substances, but are relatively deficient in 

 albuminoids or muscle-forming foods. 



The clovers and other plants belonging to the 

 pulse or clover family produce in the whole plant, as 

 well as in the seed, a large percentage of the albumi- 

 noids. Feeding these tends to correct the otherwise 

 one-sided ration. It is desirable to feed growing cat- 

 tle clover hay with Indian corn, for the same reason 

 that we eat meat with potatoes. Too much clover hay 

 or too much meat would be undesirable. 



The following table, giving the number of pounds 

 of the diiferent nutrients which may be found in a 

 ton, will show the contrast between the grass and clo- 

 ver families: 



* GRASS CLOVER 



FAMIIiY. FAMILY. 



Coru. Timothy Pea Clover 



Hay. Meal. Hay. 



Total dry matter 1554 1524 1791 1449 



Albuminoids 184 100 405 228 



Crude fat 95 63 24 103 



Starch, etc 1212 751 1022 (J09 



Fibre 36 512 287 389 



Ash 27 100 53 120 



21 r, 



