114 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



These tabular statements show that the particular stage in 

 the growth of a fodder plant exerts not only a controlling 

 influence on its composition, but also on the rate of digesti- 

 bility of its various organic constituents ; and they prove 

 also that the same group of organic constituents behave dif- 

 ferently in that direction, not only in case of difierent plants, 

 but also in case of different parts of the same plant. A few 

 observations may illustrate these facts : — 



1. Rate of Digestibility of Nitrogenous Constituents. 



<Jorn, . 



Wheat bran, 



Wheat straw, 



Meadow hay, 



Green maize, 



Green clover, just before blooming, 



Green clover, in full bloona, . 



Green clover, at the close of blooming. 



Per cent. 



85 

 70 

 26 

 57 

 73 



Oats, . 

 Rye bran, 

 Oat straw, 

 Rowen, 

 (Stover, 



2 Rate of Digestibility of Fats 



Corn, . 

 Oats, 

 Barley, . 

 Green corn. 



Per cent. 



76 



82 



. 100 



75 



(Stover, . 

 Oat straw. 

 Wheat straw. 



Per cent. 



74 



66 



38 



61 



26?) 



73 



67 



69 



Per cent. 



28?) 



30 



27 



3. Rate of Digestibility of Non-nitrogenous Extract Matter. 



Corn, 

 Oats, 

 Potatoes, 



Corn, 

 Oats, 

 Barley, 



Per cent. 

 94 

 73 



. 100 



Green corn, 

 (Stover, . 



4. Rate of Digestibility of Crude Vegetable Fibre. 



Per cent. 



34 

 21 



20 



Stover, . 

 Oat straw. 

 Barley straw. 



Per cent. 



67 

 40?) 



Per cent. 

 52 

 61 

 52 



(Cattle, 70 per cent., horses, 25 per cent., swine, 10 per cent.)* 



Adding to these results the facts, that these rates of di- 

 gestibility vary more or less in case of different kinds of ani- 

 mals, it is quite obvious, that no single plant can furnish a 

 proper standard for the valuation of the various fodder sub- 



* Approximations. 



