Manual of oattle-feedikg. 



297 



The composition of the water-free substance of the two 

 fodders was : 





Plucked. 



Mown twice. 



Protein , 



27.07 

 16.74 



5.09 

 42.09 



0.01 



13.43 



Crude fibre 



27.14 



Fat 



Nitrogen-free extract 



3.G9 

 49.69 



Ash 



6.06 







In this experiment the frequent cutting gave a very rich 

 fodder, and, at the same time, yielded absohitely more di- 

 gestible protein and about iO per cent, less non-nitrogenous 

 digestible matters per acre. 



All these results nidicate that the richest fodder and 

 the largest yield of digestible matters per acre may be ob- 

 tained by catting two or more crops of comparatively 

 young grass in a season, rather than one crop of over-ripe 

 vegetation. 



In practice, however, the fertility of the soil, the length 

 of the season, the cost of labor, etc., have to be considered, 

 and in the nature of the case, no general rules can be 

 given. The chief advantage of early cutting lies in the 

 better qxiality of the resulting fodder. Late cutting, if 

 not too late, yields a greater number of pounds of digest- 

 ible non-nitrogenous nutrients per acre than early cutting, 

 but the resulting fodder is deficient in albuminoids and is 

 usually not suitable for exclusive feeding. Obviously, how- 

 ever, circumstances may be such as to render it more eco- 

 nomical to sn])plement the poor hay obtained by late cut- 

 ting by nitrogenous bye-fodders than to be at the expense 

 of cutting two or more crops, while under other conditions 



