264 



MANUAL OF CATTLE- FEBDIlfG. 



JJUjriiiB 1 JH51 1 J 1 r X • 



I .. 

 II.. 

 III. 



Piotem 

 Per ceut 



Crude fibre 



Ptl Otllt 



Fat. 

 Per cent 



Nitiogen- 



frt-t. extract 



Pci dent. 



76 

 65 

 59 



51 



47 

 40 



58 

 64 

 60 



70 

 68 



m 



Ash 

 Per cent. 



In experiments made at Ilolienlieim on clover cut at 

 four stages of gi*owtli and fed to sheep, a similar decrease 

 of tlie digestibility with increasing age was observed, that 

 of the protein falling from 75 to 59, and that of the crude- 

 fibre from 60 to 39. Many other similar experiments 

 might be cited. 



Another circumstance which increases the feeding value 

 of early cut forage is the fact that it is not only more 

 digestible, but contains a much larger percentage of crude 

 protein than is found in that cut later. The difference in 

 the actual quantity of protein digested is thus larger in a 

 two-fold ratio in early cut fodder. Thus, in the above- 

 mentioned experiments by G. Kulm, the quantity of pro- 

 tein actually digested amounted, in the first case (I.), to 

 13.9 percent, of the total dry matter of the fodder; in 

 the last case (III.) to only 7.8 per cent. 



These facts make it evident that the same kind of coarse 

 fodder may diflFer greatly in its nutritive effect, according 

 to the circumstances under which it is grown and har- 

 vested. 



In considering these results, however, it is to be remem- 

 bered that, as regards protein, the coefficients express the 

 digestibility of the total nitrogenous matters, both albumi- 



