CATTLE FOODS— NATURAL PRODUCTS 



227 



timothy, the maturing of the maize causes a decrease in 

 the percentage of fiber and a material increase in the 

 relative amoimt of the soluble carbohydrates, sugar, 

 and starch. 



These data give us every right to expect that the 

 dry matter of the mature com plant is more digestible 

 than that of the immature plant, and experimental 

 tests show this to be the case. There follows a summary 

 of American digestion experiments bearing on this point: 



The advantage is seen to be with the mature corn. 

 It is fair to conclude from all these observations that 

 harvesting the corn plant when immature is injudicious 

 from every point of view. 



312. Alfalfa.-r-Alfalfa has become in many parts of 

 the United States one of om* most important forage crops. 

 Its points of excellence are a high degree of palatableness, 

 large relative yield, its partial independence, at least, 

 of a soil-supply of nitrogen, and its eflBciency as a soil- 

 renovating crop. From three to five cuttings may be 

 made annually; and the yield, according to records in 

 central New York, sometimes reaches the equivalent of 

 five tons of hay. The fact that it is a leguminous plant 

 indicates a useful place in farm cropping because of the 

 fact that the percentage of protein it contains is consider- 

 ably higher than that of the true grasses. 



