MAISFUAL OF OATTLE-FEEDHsTa. 



263 



In all the Holienlieim experiinents, tlie cliemical compo- 

 sition of tlie fodder remained substantially miclianged, and 

 the deteriomtion showed itself in a diminished digesti- 

 bility. Whether, however, the smaller nutritive value of 

 hay and straw kept over winter, which is often observed in 

 practice, even when the hay has apparently kept excellent- 

 ly, is caused by an essential alteration in the digestibility 

 of the fodder, or is to be sought chiefly in the mechanical 

 loss of the more nutritious parts, which always takes place 

 to some extent, and in decreased palatabilityj must be left 

 to future researches to decide. 



Period cJf Gro^CTrth. — Early cut forage is not only supe- 

 rior, other things being equal, to late cut, as regards its 

 chemical composition, but it excells it in digestibility as well 



This fact is established by abundance of experimental 

 evidence. In some experiments by G. Kiihn,* oxen were 

 fed with clover hay cut from the same field at three 

 different times, riz. : 



L Cut May 20, just before flowering. 

 II. " June 7, in full bloom. 

 III. " " 20, end of flowering. 



The composition and digestibility of the water-free sub- 

 stance of these hays were the following : 



COMPOSITIOK. 





Protein. 

 Per cent. 







Cnide fibre. 

 Per cent. 



Fat. 

 Per cent. 



Nitropjen- 



free extract. 



Per cent. 



Asb. 

 Per cent. 



I 



19.56 

 16,31 

 13.19 



25 30 

 28.11 

 28.80 



2.25 



2.87 

 2 86 



45 52 

 44.05 



48.37 



10.10 



7.76 

 6.78 



11..... 



Ill 





* Wolff: *' Ernabrang Laudw. Nutzthiere," p. 106. 



