28 fp:eding stuffs and their preparation 



season of the year to another, the question of preservation 

 and its effect upon their feeding value is of large impor- 

 tance. There are two general methods now in use, viz., 



drying or curing, and 

 ensiling. 



Drying or Curing. 

 — The majority of 

 forage crops are so 

 high in water con- 

 tent when harvested 

 that a process of cur- 

 ing must be resorted 

 to. While the mere 

 drying of a foodstufT 

 does not impair its 

 nutritive value, there 

 is generally a loss 

 of feeding value 

 through curing, be- 

 cause leaves are shat- 

 tered in handling, 

 and aroma is lost by 

 the evaporation of 

 dew. Bleaching by 

 the sun also causes 

 a chemical loss, and 

 the rain and the dew 

 carry off valuable nutrients in solution. Corn forage, al- 

 lowed to stand in the field over winter, loses not less than 

 25 per cent of its feeding value by leaching and bleaching. 

 The making of good hay is an art. Since the leaves of 

 alfalfa and clover contain the most valuable part of the 



- Chopping corn forage and sturing it in 

 a silo 



