The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-08-20
FIRST AS A FORAGE PLANT.

ESSdy O6IlN6Teu ny W. D. iAH0d De-
fore the Giles County Farmers Associa-
ten, July, 1885.
FIRST AS FORAGE PLANT.
This is an important subject,
whose scope reaches far beyond the
time we now have to give to it. So
l will be concise and touch briefly
only such points as we are most
relevant. We begin by sowing
about eight pounds of seed per acre
with oats, as early in the spring as
possible, usually about the 1st day
or as only a few prefer, SOW
from 10 to II pounds alone. BY
the latter plan l have just succeed
ed in slowing away for my COWS
about twelve hundred pounds per
acre of charming hay, full of aroma,
and only 81 months old If you
would like TO have your clover 90
per cent. larger, you can do so by
sowing on about so pounds of plas-
ter. Next comes the moving. 1t
is important that this be done at
the right time When is this? 1t
is at the time when the digestible
portion of the nutritive element is at
its maximum value. The total
weight and food products continue
to increase from the time of first
flower TO full blown, and on even to
dry bloom, in the ratio of 2 to to
3.S. Thenit looks like dry bloom
would be the time. But deteri-
towards the latter stage even more
Grafton ensues rapidly. The woody
or ind lgestible fiber has gone on
increasing from II to IA to Is
per cent. The fat decreasing
from to 4 to 81 per cent
The albuminoids or flesh formers
dropping from 20 to II to IA. Thus
we see as amount increases, and
value decreases. Chemical research
says, cut now while it is rich and
palatable. Total weight says, wait
while. We compr omise at full
bloom. After this the albumi-
uoids, starch, sugar, etc, begin
to break up rapidly into carboly-
drates to strengthen the woody
stalk of the plant and form seed.
leaving woody fiber in such eX
cess as to partially prevent diges-
ton. i weather Is hot and dry
thin clover cut in the morning at
ter dew is off may be shocked late
in the evening. But if clover is
rank it will have to lay until the
next evening, unless it is raised by
tedder or otherwise. The use o.
the tedder results generally in 6
product of the most superior quality
retaining all of it's sweet aroma, sc
much priced in clover hay. Should
the partially dry clover remain or
the ground during the night, the
leaves and stems on top will alb
sorb moistureswith avidity, fermen
tation ensues and is checked no
until this is driven out by the warn
rays of the next sun. These leaves
turn black and drop off. The
bright green vanishes from the
stems as if touched by a hoary
frost. The aroma like cologne
seems of mixed oders. Still with
bright weather many farmers make
fairly good hay who never saw 8
tedder.
1t requires longer to cure than
timothy or herdsgrass, because the
per cent. of water contained is 80
70 and 60. Place in shocks 4 feet
base by five feet high. Let stand
days if weather will permit. i
not, double the shocks and place on
clover caps weighted on corners. II
put away little green, sprinkling
with salt will partially prevent fer
mentation.
We sometimes see such expires
sions as these: Z pounds of corn
or s of peas or beans, or 81 Of the
oil cakes, will make a pound of net
beef; and of the hays, 10 pounds Of
prime clover, IL of timothy, or l.
of red top or the millets, will make
one pound of beef. These state,
ments must be accepted conditional
ly-literally they are untrue
Grain and the oil cakes are too rich
if fed alone, and the total mass is
too small. Corn, though less rich
than peas, peas, beans and the oil
cakes, contains such an excess OF
the nitrogens and fats that more
than one-half of its nutritive ele
ments,pass on digested yet unasimi
lated, and are actually wasted and
carried of in the excrements. Sc
if good clover the richest of all the
hays, is fed alone, one-seventh OIL
its nutrative worth is lost because oil
its poverty in these nitrogens and
fat elements wasted" in feeding toe
rich food antf~because of it's exces
sive bulk. Compared upon the
basis of food contained they rank
thus: Red top IS, timothy (north.
eru) ga, clover 100, oats 40, corn
$50, oil cake 240. But upon the ba-
sis of what viii be assimilated and
turned to useful effect, if fed alone,
I04 pounds of prime clover is equal
to IL of oats or 13 of corn; er fed
thus, clover hay is actually worth
more than corn pound for pound.
Yet there are many farmers in this
fine hay county who feed their work
stock corn alone for more than one
half the year, Why, for two years
thus fed you do not get the good
there is in one. You are making a
fire IN your horses stomach large
enough for that of an elephant. Dc
you wonder that he becomes slug
gish? That his hair is not sleekf
That he is weak and feverish, with
pop eyes that have woe-hegone
look as if dreaming Of the grave!
! New, then, through respect to our
dumb brutes, as well as for econo-
my, let US combine the hays and
grains so as to form a complete
food, in which the digestible ele-
ments shall bear a fixed ratio to
the indigestible or crude mass, and
in which the albu mlnoids, nitro
gems, fats, etc, are in such proper
ton that there will be no excess or
deficiencies and consequently no
wastes. Hay must be the never fail
ing indispensable basis. Never the