MANUAL OF CATTLE-FEEDING, 



307 



Lttceriste. — This important fodder plant is in general 

 even richer in protein than red clover, but is inclined to a 

 more rapid formation of woody fibre after the flowers ap- 

 pear. Wagner'^' found the water-free substance of two 

 samples cut respectively May 31st and June 30th to have 

 the following composition : 



Profcein 



Fat 



JNitrogen-free extract 



Crude fibre 



Ash* 



Evidently lucerne demands eai-ly cutting, even more 

 than clover, in order to yield a highly liutritious fodder. 



Digestibility. — Most of the digestion experiments on 

 lucerne hitherto executed have been made on material of 

 exceptionally good quality, and much superior to what 

 would be obtained in practice by the ordinary methods of 

 curing. 



Consequently, the digestion coefficients given in the 

 Appendix are probably higher than would be ordinarily 

 observed. In some recetlt experiments by Kellner f the 

 digestibility of ordinary lucerne hay as cured in the field 

 (No. 1) was compared "With that of hay from the same 

 piece of ground, dried under cover and without Iobs (No. 



* Jahresber, A^. Cliem. , XVI. , 25. 

 j-Laadw, Versaolis-Statioi?.en, XXI., 425* 



