293 MAKING HAY. 



body, and is, undoubtedly, somewhat more completely utilized 

 tbiin is tiie case with starch, liut the final form and oflice is 

 the same with both starch and the sugars or foods. 



•'It is. therefore, difticult to sec how a ch'ingo from glucose to 

 saccharose in sorghum can eifect the intrinsic value. Puit why 

 compare sorghum and Timothy anyway? One is a sugar-bear- 

 ing plant, tiie other is not. 



" liccause sorghum, a sugar-i)roducing plant, is worth most 

 for making sugar when the seeds are ripe, why should it follow 

 that Timothv. a plant containing in advanced ago a verv small 

 quantity of sugar, is most nutritious when the seeds are fornu>d? 

 We cannot determine the elTect that ago has upon the nutritis'e 

 value of any known fodder plant by the increase or decrease of 

 a single compound. Plant substance is complex, is made up of 

 nniny compounds, and we must measure nutritive value by the 

 total quantity of digestible nutrients, taking into account also 

 their form and relative quantities. 



•'Our knowledge of changes occurring in Timothy grass 

 through age is. lirielly, as follows: 



"(1.) The nitrogenous compounds decrease and the carbohy- 

 dmtes (starch, sugar, etc.) increase in relative amounts. 



*'(••.*.) Tliere is no conclusive evidence that the nitrogenous 

 compoumls assume more valuable forms in the later stages of 

 growth than when the plant is in bloom. 



**(o.) With the carbohydrates there is a change of material 

 into the form of criule fibre. Crude fibre is in part digestible, 

 and to that extent is as valuable as digestible starch. 



''(4.) The nutrients in young grass are more largely digesti- 

 ble than in old. 



"(5.) This decrease in jjcrcentage (»f digestibility imiy be in 

 part or even wholly compensated by the greater acreage produc- 

 tion in the case of nuiture grass. Whether this is so, undoubt- 

 edly, depends largely upon the locality and season. 



