IQ2 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



it is being handled in transportation ; second, to the dust it 

 frequently contains, the outcome of curing too little or too 

 much before it is stored, and third, to the fact that it is less 

 satisfactory than timothy on the whole as a fodder for 

 horses. 



The varieties of clover chiefly grown differ from each 

 other in feeding value, but the elements of difference are 

 physical rather than chemical. The common red, the stand- 

 ard clover grown, is of medium fineness in both the cut- 

 tings, which are commonly obtained the same season. The 

 mammoth variety has stems so coarse that the waste in 

 feeding may be considerable. The alsike, of fine growth, 

 is usually fed with little waste. White clover with its small 

 stems and leaves adds comparatively little to the bulk of the 

 ordinary meadow. Crimson clover has a relatively large 

 proportion of stem and the stems soon become woody, 

 hence, as a hay, it is not so popular as the medium red or 

 the alsike. Moreover, the stems are covered with hairs, 

 and in these, on hay made from clover well advanced to- 

 ward maturity before cutting, the danger is present, that 

 when fed to horses, the hairs will gather into balls in the di- 

 gestive tract and so lead to impaction. Japan clover, used 

 for hay to some extent in the South, has proved about equal 

 to Bermuda hay as food for cows. It would probably be 

 correct to say, that clover provides more hay for live stock, 

 and especially for cattle and sheep, than all other legumes 

 taken together. Its preeminence in this respect is owing 

 to the wide range in its distribution, its high palatability, 

 and the richness of its nutrients. 



For cattle, clover hay is excellently adapted to their 

 needs owing to the relish with which it is eaten and to the 

 equilibrium in its nutrients. It is virtually in itself a balanced 

 food for them, especially for making growth and producing 

 milk, but, owing to its bulkiness, concentrates are fre- 

 quently fed along with it for making quick growth and are 

 commonly always fed along with it when seeking abundant 

 milk production or rapid fattening. No better fodder can 



