46 VOELCKER on the Chemistry of Food. 



It will be observed that, whilst alsike clover cut on the 23rd of 

 June, and six days later, produced an equally nutritious hay, a 

 fortnight difference in the time of cutting down the red clover 

 was attended with a considerable deterioration of the hay. For 

 whilst the clover cut on the llth June gave hay containing 20'87 

 of woody fibre, cut on the 25th, or a fortnight later, it produced 

 31*37 of indigestible fibre. Tt is the experience of practical men 

 that the same weight of clover, when made into hay, is not so 

 nutritious as it is in a fresh state. This no doubt is due partly 

 to the changes which clover undergoes in the drying process, but 

 also it is accounted for by the fact that, during the turning and 

 drying in the field, and the subsequent carting of the clover, its 

 more delicate and nutritious smaller leaves are wasted. Unpro- 

 pitious weather, accompanied with frequent heavy rains, still more 

 diminishes the nutritive qualities of the clover-hay, inasmuch as 

 heavy rains wash out a portion of the nutritive juices, and clover 

 which is kept in a wet state for a long time on the field is apt to 

 enter into fermentation, during which a considerable portion of 

 the albuminous compounds is destroyed. 



Meadow Hay and Aftermath. Like clover hay, ordinary mea- 

 dow hay and aftermath are liable to considerable variations in 

 composition. The same circumstances which affect the nutritive 

 value of the hay of artificial grasses determine the value of the 

 hay of natural grasses. Taking the mean of 25 analyses of 

 common meadow hay, the composition of the latter may be stated 

 as follows : 



Water 14-61 



Flesh-forming constituents .. .. 8*44 

 Respiratory and fatty matters .. .. 43*63 



Woody fibre 27-16 



Mineral matters (ash) 6 '16 



The composition of the hay produced by the several natural 

 grasses analysed by Professor Way has been stated already under 

 the head of natural grasses. It will be observed that the average 

 composition of hay from 23 different natural grasses agrees well 

 with the average composition of meadow hay, which has just been 

 stated. Well-made hay made of grass, cut rather earlier than is 

 done usually,, is richer in flesh-forming matters than ordinary 

 meadow hay. The following analyses by Dr. Wolff may repre- 

 sent the composition of meadow hay of superior quality : 



Water 16-94 



Flesh-forming matters 10*69 



Respiratory and fatty matters .. .. 40-17 



Woody fibre 27'16 



Mineral matters (ash) 5' 04 



100-00 



On the other hand, the two subjoined analyses by Dr. Anderson 

 may express the composition of inferior meadow hay : 



