252 THE CHEMISTRY OF CATTLE FEEDING 



for the animals, and the land is effectively manured with a 

 minimum of labour. 



The leguminous forage crops include clovers, vetches, 

 lucerne, lupines, sainfoin, etc. They are generally somewhat 

 less watery and more highly nitrogenous than the crucifers. 

 Up to the time of flowering, the coefficients of digestibility are 

 high, but after that stage the fibre lignifies very rapidly and 

 the ratio of dynamic to thermic value is greatly diminished. 

 Lupines which grow well on poor sandy soils are sometimes 

 fed to sheep, but they are cultivated more largely for the 

 purpose of green manuring than for feeding. In the mature 

 condition they have an extremely bitter taste which is dis- 

 agreeable to animals. This taste has been ascribed to the 

 presence of alkaloids of a poisonous character. More recently 

 the poisonous effects, which are commonly, but not always, 

 noticeable, have been attributed to the presence of parasitic 

 fungi, and it is said that they can be destroyed by subjecting 

 the dried material to prolonged steaming. Other leguminous 

 crops are largely used for cows, and in the young condition are 

 said to promote the flow of milk. 



The grasses are rarely cut for consumption in the green 

 state, but they form, quantitatively, by far the most important 

 ingredient of the herbage of pastures. No inferences drawn 

 from the properties of meadow grasses can be applied even to 

 the same varieties in pastures. The conditions are very 

 different. The herbage in pastures is kept down by the 

 grazing animals, and the whole of the produce is, therefore, 

 consumed in a very immature state. This herbage is much 

 softer, richer, less fibrous and altogether more valuable, weight 

 for weight, than the produce of the same meadow when cut 

 for hay. Under the circumstances of pasture, the differences 

 which are more or less characteristic of the several varieties 

 do not develop ; the chemical composition and digestibility of 

 all are practically alike. 



Pastures differ, however, very greatly in quality, and the 

 fact is attributable mainly, to two causes. Certain varieties 

 of grass, e.g. cock's-foot, timothy, rye grass, fescues, grow more 

 rapidly, and so tend to produce a greater bulk of produce 



