Hay and Straw. 



45 



As it in ay be useful to know what would be the composition 

 of hay produced by the various kinds of clover and artificial 

 grasses, the analyses of which are stated above, the preceding 

 table has been compounded. 



In an air-dry state, clover-hay contains on an average 16 '6 

 per cent, of moisture. Calculating thus for 16'6 per cent, of 

 moisture in every case, the composition of the hay of the sub- 

 joined clovers and artificial grasses will be as in the table (p. 44). 



Dr. Anderson states the composition of clover-hay of the 

 second cutting, and grown in the field, as follows : 



Moisture 



Flesh-forming substances 

 Non-nitrogenised matters 

 Mineral matters (ash) . . 



16'84 



13-52 



64-43 



5-51 



100-00 



The influence of the period at which clover is cut for hay on the 

 composition of the latter is shown in the following experiments 

 of Stockhard and Hellriegelj 



It will be observed that the leaves are much more nutritious 

 than the stems, which decrease rapidly in value at the period of 

 maturity. 



Still more strikingly the deterioration of clover-hay by not cut- 

 ting down the clover at the proper time appears in the following 

 experiments by Dr. Wolff, made in 1853 : 



