224 THE FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



Maize tor Silage (Yield of Dry Matter to the Acre) 



Red Clover (Yield op Dry Matter to the Acre) 



stage of growth 



Pennsylvania 

 1882 



In full bloom 

 Some heads dead 

 Heads all dead 



Pounds 

 3,680 

 3,428 

 3,361 



These data are convincing testimony as to the growth 

 of dry substance in certain forage crops up to and in- 

 cluding the period of ripening. Clover is an apparent 

 exception, but is probably not really so because after 

 the heads begin to die there is an actual loss of dry mat- 

 ter from the shedding of the leaves. 



309. Value of crops not proportional to yield. — ^It does 

 not follow when a plant increases in its yield of dry matter 

 that its nutritive value has proportionately increased. 

 The end to be sought is the largest possible quantity of 

 available food compounds, and it is entirely possible 

 that changes in texture and in the composition of the 

 dry substance may partially or fully offset the greater 

 yield. With the meadow grasses this undoubtedly hap- 

 pens. The dry matter of mature grass contains a larger 

 proportion of fiber than the immature. The progressive 



