Grasses. 



35 



a young state than at the period when they are in full flower, 

 inasmuch as the woody fibre increases towards the period of 

 maturity so extremely rapidly, that often a few days' difference in 

 the time of cutting grass for hay greatly affects the nutritive value 

 of the latter. For this reason, perhaps, it would have been better 

 to submit all the grasses to analysis at haymaking time. How- 

 ever, a good many grasses have been examined at that period, and 

 we are thus enabled to form an opinion of the qualities of the hay 

 which these grasses will produce. 



The differences exhibited in the above-mentioned analytical 

 results are considerable in some instances, and clearly point out the 

 inferiority of some grasses. It must be borne, however, in mind, 

 that the same grass which here has furnished a large amount 

 of woody indigestible fibre and little fat or albumen, when grown 

 on another soil or reaped earlier, will, no doubt, give different 

 results. We require, indeed, a large number of analyses of grasses 

 before we can speak decisively of the comparative nutritive value 

 which they severally possess. Still Professor Way's analyses 

 afford useful indications respecting the feeding value of some 

 natural grasses, especially if we assume in each the same amount of 

 water. Hay on an average contains 14'3 per cent, of water. If we 

 calculate the above results by assuming in each case 14*3 per 

 cent, of moisture, we obtain the composition of the hay which 

 each grass would produce. 



The subjoined table in which this calculation has been intro- 

 duced enables us still better to compare the relative merits of 



