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FODDEE PLANTS HAYMAKING 



oats. 



Other plants are sometimes grown for fodder, e.g., rye, vetches and 



The following table shows the average composition of many fodder 

 plants in the fresh condition : 



In some cases the fodder crop is eaten green by animals ; but more 

 generally, it is preserved for future use, either by being made into hay 

 or silage. 



Hay-making consists in drying the plants by exposure to sun 

 and air to such an extent as to greatly check fermentation, which, in 

 the presence of moisture, soon occurs in vegetable matter. This fer- 

 mentation is due to the action of micro-organisms and is accompanied 

 by absorption of oxygen from the air and consequent evolution of heat. 

 During hay-making the most important change is the loss of water ; 

 this naturally varies considerably with the nature of the crop, its ripe- 

 ness, etc. Ordinary meadow grass will usually contain about 75 per 

 cent of water, while the hay from it, in the stack, may contain about 



