Seow 
129 
The leaves form at least one-fifth of the whole produce, and have greater nutritive 
oveat. 
‘alue than the other parts of the plant; it is consequently clear, that, by the loss of leaf, 
more than one-fifth of the nutritive matter is lost. The loss of nutritive matter is actually 
about one-third of the whole. 
Dietrich examined the relative percentage weights of leaf, stem, and flower-heads at different stages 
of development. His results were as follows : — 
31st March. 26th April. 19th May. Ist June. 16th June. 30th June. 
Leaves Stems Buds Flowering In full Flowering 
forming. forming. forming. beginning. flower. finished. 
Leaves 40 °/o KA fo 24. a 24 °/o 19 °/o 18 °/o 
Leaf-stalks 60 °/o 29 °/o 14 °/o 12 °/o 11 °/o 10 °/o 
Stems ; — 30 °/o 58 °/o 58 Vo 59 °/o 60 °/o 
Flower-heads —. ; — — h. °/o 6 °/o 11 °/o 12 %/o 
Ulbricht’s experiments shew that, weight for weight, the leaves contain three times as much albumin as 
the stem. The best system of hay-making is clearly that in which the hay is turned as little as possible, 
so as to reduce loss of leaf to a minimum; hay-making by drying in the sun is not advisable, as the 
plants require several turnings; after such treatment the bulk of the produce consists of naked stems. 
It would be better to resort to the method ot drying by air. The crop is cut by the cradle 
scythe, allowed to lie in swathe for two days, and then formed into rows (stooks) as in fig. 9, page 413, 
Drying in sheaves is likewise advantageous but involves more labour. In districts where drying can 
only be accomplished with extreme difficulty, brown hay may be made. Red clover is, most con- 
veniently dried on the clover perches recommended by Schwerz. Within recent years, however, clover 
pyramids (fig, 12, page 1%), have come into general favour in Germany. 
The yield varies within wide limits and depends upon the nature of the soil, its conditions with 
regard to manure, the season, etc. Block, from forty years’ experience of clover growing, states that, 
on an average, only three full harvests can be obtained in four years, as the yield gradually falls off. 
Werner estimates the average annual produce of hay at 48 cwt. per acre; Kraft, al 32 cwl., but, if 
the land is good and the season favourable, the yield may rise to 56 or even 80 cwl. per acre. 
Schwerz reckons the average yield at 40 cwt.; Sprengel at 48 cwt. in a moist season, and about 
32 ewt. in a dry one. According to Langethal, the average yield obtained from land little suited for 
clover growing is 32 cwt. of hay per acre; if the land is good, 48 ewt., if good and containing lime, 
64 cwt.; in favourable years, the best clover land yields 80 cwt. and over. Hdni states that, under 
favourable conditions, red clover yields from 56 to 68 cwt. of hay per acre. 
100 lbs. of the red clover, cut when in flower, give about 20 lbs. of hay. Green clover in flower 
contains 80 °/o water, while hay of good quality countains only 16°/o. One part of hay is equivalent 
to five parts of green clover, but not in nutritive value because a certain percentage of the more nutritive 
leaves has been lost during hay-making. 
The following is the average composition (Woljf’): — 
©, E S82 Proportion digested 
Quality Jeo) 2) BO NBeS | S| re Ratio of 
= 5 a Fy z Sf “| Albumin hydrates Fats becca 
<5! a @ { matter 
By Oh %o %%o 9 | %y % %p i 
A. Hay, | | | 
omeatinivaer we > fa) OS: | Me aoe | Sz | eh | be | $794 tO i 2A 
Medium quality 78:7 | 12.3. | 260 | 382 | 22 | 70. | 384 ho |. Le bo 
| Very good quality rot Bs, 18.5 | 24.0 37.1 29 | 8&5 38.2 her | 1:50 
Excellent quality . 76.5 | 153 | 222 | 358 | 32 10.7 | 876 | 24 1: 4.0 
B. Green. | 
Before flowering . 15 | 33 | 45 | 70 | O7 | 23 PE |\w0S- | ess 
During flowering 18.3 3.0 5.8 8.9 0.6 ye 8.7 O4 | 1: 5.7 
Yield. 
Nutritive 
value. 
