GRASS AND FORAGE CROPS COMPARED 



281 



to leaf again. A heavy fill of wet soybean forage may cause bloat. 

 As the pods begin to develop, the grazing must be limited to a short 

 time each day or the sheep will get too much of the grain. Soybeans 

 cannot withstand frost. 



Cowpeas have many of the same qualities as soybeans, but they 

 are not so palatable and they require a warmer climate. 



Missouri lamb feeders have made good use of this crop by plant- 

 ing it in the corn, thus producing a great deal of forage which 



Fig. 182. — In the rape at the University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois. 



remains green until frost. The ripened pods make an excellent 

 nitrogenous supplement to the corn. This is excellent feed for ewes 

 that are being conditioned for the breeding season, but it is difficult 

 to get native lambs to eat cowpeas when other, more palatable, feeds 

 are available. 



Grass and Forage Crops Compared. — It is impossible to make 

 a clear-cut comj)arison between, grass and forage crops as sources of 

 green feed for sheep and lambs. Permanent pastures are old 

 standbys which nothing else can completely replace as convenient 

 feeding grounds, for they can be, and usually are, made use of in 

 every month of the year. Their worst feature lies in the fact that 

 parasites harmful to sheep accumulate in them. In many instances 



