356 FEEDING AHIMALS. 



yields so abundant and complex a product in her milk. 

 Milk contains all 'the elements of the living animal body in 

 solution. The cow must, therefore, have a great variety, 

 or complex food, out of which to elaborate this production. 

 The dairyman cannot give this too much consideration. 

 Many of our natural pastures contain from thirty to sixty 

 species of grasses ; and when good cows are fed upon such 

 pastures they are noted for the high quality of their milk 

 and butter and cheese. Some of these wild grasses are 

 classed as weeds by farmers when they come into their 

 grain-fields, but they are highly relished by cattle in their 

 succulent state. All of these wild grasses cannot be sown 

 in pasture ; but they will frequently maintain a foothold 

 with the cultivated grasses sown. It is well known that 

 dairy products do not have that extra fine flavor when pro- 

 duced on a pasture of timothy and clover alone; and, 

 therefore, permanent pastures have been much advocated. 

 But American farmers have not been so careful in selecting 

 a variety of the cultivated grasses as they might have been. 

 It is quite unusual for our dairy farmers to sow on pastures 

 more than timothy (Phleum pratense) and red clover (Tri- 

 folium pratense), occasionally adding June grass (Poa pra- 

 tensis), or orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata), or white 

 clover (Trifolium repens), and in very exceptional cases all 

 of them. If this list were generally used, it would greatly 

 improve the pastures of the whole country ; but this mea- 

 gre list should be enlarged by those who desire the great 

 advantages of variety in the food of their cows, and are 

 endeavoring to establish permanent pastures. It is true 

 that red clover is usually a biennial, and will not last long, 

 yet will be of much service in the beginning ; but there is 

 a perennial variety of red clover (Trifolium pratense pe- 

 renne), and is found in almost every field of clover. That 

 enthusiastic botanist, the late John Stanton Gould, says of 

 the perennial : 



