PALATABILITY 
Many attempts have been made to set up definitions of 
the comparative palatibility of pasture plants. Palatibility 
is an illusive term that has no fixed status and upon which 
authors and investigators are not in agreement. It varies 
with climatic and soil conditions and other environmental 
factors. The sweet clovers, lupins and some others that 
contain coumarin or other bitter elements, at all times or 
at certain stages of growth, are not relished by livestock at 
the first contact, but sweet clovers are usually consumed 
after a taste for them has been developed. Palatibility also 
varies with the stage of growth and is directly related to 
nutritive values and fiber content. It is, then, closely re- 
lated to pasture management. All plants recommended — 
for pasture planting can be considered as high in this 
respect. Beyond a few extremes noted for some species, 
degrees of palatibility are not definable in any terms that 
are likely to be of value to graziers. 
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NUTRITIVE VALUES 
The differences in actual feed values among the various 
grasses and the legumes used in pasture mixtures are not 
great enough to be significant. 
Legumes are lower than grasses in percentage of dry 
matter and higher in protein. Grasses are higher in total 
digestible nutrients and in crude fiber. 
When grazing management is so regulated that the 
plants are consumed at some stage between full leaf ma- 
turity and the beginning of seed formation the highest 
nutritive values will be secured. 
Mixtures of grasses and legumes have long since been 
demonstrated as desirable for variety in the diet and for 
the best nutrition of cattle and sheep. 
