FOODS AND FEEDING. I09 



" Meadow barley " and " wall barley " are both worthless grasses with Meadow 

 long, hard awns bearing a close resemblance to small ears of barley which barley, 

 makes their recognition easy. h] 



The " Reed Sweet grass," " Floating sweet grass " and " Reed canary " ^^f^^* 

 or " Ribbon grass," together with Sedges and Rushes, are only found in gj-asses. 

 the neighbourhood of low lying and water meadows ; the two first- 

 mentioned grasses are useful for the feeding of stock, but the locality in 

 which they grow prevents them being classed as good hay grasses. 



Clovers. 



"Red Clover." — There are three kinds of red clover, "Broad red clover," Red 

 a biennial plant with a hollow stem and a broadly pointed leaf ; and two clovers, 

 perennial varieties closely resembling each other, which are commonly 

 called " Cow grass," have solid stems and lance-shaped leaves. They are Cowgrass. 

 all large, juicy plants which may be fed green or as hay ; as a hay crop 

 they are difficult to save, but are excellent feeding. 



"Alsike," originally imported from Sweden and sometimes called Alsike 

 Swedish clover, is often grown instead of the red varieties, as it is not so clover, 

 susceptible to clover sickness, a disease caused by minute worms in the Swedish 

 stem ; this variety, however, only grows well on moist lands, which precludes ^ °^^^' 

 its general adoption in many districts. 



"White" or "Dutch" clover, originally imported from Holland, is a White or 

 smaller plant than the above varieties, and more suitable therefore as Dutch 

 pasture than for hay, but is of excellent quality, and since it is found on clover, 

 all good land is constantly met with in good hay. 



"Valerian," " Italian" or "Crimson clover," commonly called " Trifo- Valerian, 

 Hum," is an annual plant, grows tall and heavy, has a long brilliant Italian, or 

 crimson flower, and as it comes to maturity very early is not often made crimson 

 into hay by itself, although in combination with early grasses it is found y^foJium. 

 in some mixtures. Owing to the heaviness of the crop it is difficult to 

 save well except in very good weather, and becomes coarse and woody 

 unless cut young : it makes excellent green food. 



Three other small clovers may be found, viz. : — 



" Birdsfoot trefoil," a small perennial variety with a yellow flower (red in Birdsfoot 

 the bud). trefoil. 



" Yellow suckling clover," which is often sown with Rye grass, and Yellow 

 "Non such" clover or Hop trefoil, which may be easily mistaken for suckling 

 each other, but are distinguished by the black seed pods of the latter. clover. 



All clovers are excellent feeding, and their presence in hay is valuable Qj-^JJ^fp ' 

 if they are well saved. trefoil. 



