2 FORAGE CHOPS 



crops of the different classes used to supply the 

 roughage necessary in rations for farm animals, 

 as well as to reduce the need for purchased feeds. 

 In this book the term "forage crops" is used 

 in the broadest sense. The common -language 

 usage of forage (and which must prevail) would 

 make the term a general one applying to all 

 kinds of rough or coarse natural herbage food, such 

 as animals might find freely provided by nature; 

 as hay, pasture, herbage of maize, oats, cowpeas, 

 vetch, sorghum. "Roughage" is practically synon- 

 ymous, but is applied more particularly to the 

 coarser kinds, that is, exclusive of hay and pas- 

 ture. "Fodder" is the dried or cured herbage. 

 "Soiling" is the feeding of animals on green herb- 

 age that is cut and carried to them (as distin- 

 guished from pasturing) . 



THE MEASURES OF VALUE IN FORAGE CROPS 



The value of any forage crop is determined by 

 a number of conditions, the first, and in the long 

 run probably the most important, being the actual 

 food, or the amount of dry matter, that may be 

 secured from a given area and its usefulness as 

 measured by the kind and proportion of the 

 nutrients contained in it. A second considera- 

 tion is its adaptability and usefulness for the 

 various purposes, as, for example, for a soiling 



