CHAPTER III. 



OF THE FOOD OF CATTLE. 



GRASSES, CLOVEB, AND OTHER VEGETABLE MATTER USUALLY CALLED FODDER, etC. 



The food of cattle, of which I design to treat in this chapter, will be mostly limited to the 

 grasses. This class of plants contains numerous species which are occasionally eaten ; 

 still the number on which cattle depend for support, is quite limited. They constitute a 

 natural family of plants, possessing many characteristics in common. These are not con- 

 fined to external appearance, but extend to their chemical constitution. In this latter point 

 of view, the most remarkable character which they possess in common, is their silicious 

 skeleton. Other plants which have been under consideration, were, properly speaking, 

 lime plants, or lime united with an organic or phosphoric acid, or both. In the case of 

 grasses, however, silica combined with an alkali constitutes the greatest part of their frame 

 work, which is a hollow, light, fluted cylinder, possessing great strength for the amount of 

 material which it contains. This is a necessary constitution, inasmuch as with almost any 

 other they would possess stems too weak to brave the winds and storms. A sufiiciency of 

 silica, then, is the great requisite to their maturity ; in which state only seed can be per- 

 fected, and their species propagated. They are, however, nutritious in their immature 

 state, and are freely eaten in all stages of growth ; but this fact should not lead us to adopt 

 the opinion that they are equally nutritious at all stages of growth. They fulfil an im- 

 portant purpose, as a tender juicy food, in the early spring ; but they soon reach a point 

 where they are in the greatest perfection, after which they lose daily their best parts by 

 transmission to the seed ; while the stem becomes dry and ligneous, and is very poorly 

 adapted even to sustenance, much less to improvement and progress. 



For agriculturists, it is an important matter to ascertain when grasses are in their best 

 condition for the food of stock. In determining this question, we may be guided by the 

 nature of the case. It is evident that when a grass has put forth its blossoms, it has reached 

 its natural size, its height and diameter ; it ceases to grow : the energies of the plant are 

 no longer directed to this end. Now another important function is to be fufilled : the 

 perfection of seed. In order to fulfil this function, the nutritious matter in the stalk begins 

 to concentrate in the embryo of the seed, or seed vessel ; and in consequence of this, the 

 stalk at least loses more than it gains ; and after a short period, during which slow changes 



