CIRCUMSTANCES AFFECTING DIGESTIBILITY 151 



DIGESTION OF HAY BY SHEEP. 



The diminution in digestibility with the increasing 

 maturity of the grass is very striking, and is very 

 equally spread over all the constituents. Experiments 

 with clover cut at different stages of growth have 

 yielded similar results. 



It follows from what has just been stated that no 

 jQxed nutritive value can be ascribed to fodder crops, 

 or to the hay made from them, as both their composi- 

 tion and digestibility are largely influenced by their 

 age and condition when cut. The young plant is 

 always the most nutritive. The superior fattening 

 quality of a pasture, as compared with that of the hay 

 made from it, is clearly due to the fact that on land 

 continuously grazed the animal is entirely fed on young 

 herbage, while hay will always consist of the fully- 

 grown plant. Illustrations of the different digestibility 

 of hay of various qualities have been already given 

 on pp. 144 and 146. 



Fodder crops do not sensibly diminish in digesti- 

 bility by being made into hay, if hay-making is carefully 

 carried out in good weather ; but the loss of the finer 

 parts of the plant by rough treatment, or the wash- 

 ing out of soluble matter by rain, may considerably 



