188 ' FEEDING ANIMALS. 



behind rye. Eye is rich in carbo-hydrates, and clover in 

 albuminoids, so that the one is the complement of the 

 other. The rye crop is much benefited by harrowing once 

 or twice in spring after the ground becomes sufficiently dry 

 to drive upon it. The slanting-tooth harrow is used. 



RED CLOVER (Trifolium pratense). This must always 

 be one of the most important crops for soiling, both on 

 account of its early cutting, and its large amount of excel- 

 lent green food grown upon an acre. It contains more 

 water in the green state than rye ; but its albuminoids 

 and carbo-hydrates are in better proportion as a food for 

 young and growing animals, and for the production of 

 milk. On dry, rich soils very large crops may be raised, 

 even as high. as twelve tons of green food at the first cut- 

 ting in early blossom, and often two more cuttings, amount- 

 ing to eight or more tons yielding even as high as twenty 

 tons of green clover in a season, or over six tons of dry 

 clover hay. This proportion of green to dry clover is cal- 

 culated from experiments made by Prof. Voelcker on the 

 College farm at Cirencester. This crop is cheaply raised, 

 is subject to but few insect enemies, and not affected so 

 much by drought as most other crops, owing to the fact 

 that its long tap root reaches down deep, and draws up 

 moisture and fertility from the subsoil. Its broad leaves 

 also draw largely for nourishment upon the atmosphere. 



Hon. Harris Lewis, a dairyman of much experience, says 

 one acre of good clover will feed a dairy of 35 cows for 15 

 days ; that 3 acres have furnished his herd of 38 cows with 

 food for 35 days ; but this was probably on partial pasture. 



The author, many years since, in 'order to determine the 

 feeding capacity of an acre of heavy clover, measured off 

 40 rods and fed to cows, and found it equal to feeding one 

 cow 180 days. The two succeeding years the same experi- 

 ment was repeated, and the M of an acre was found equal to 

 feeding one cow 168 and 165 days respectively, but these 



