Hay.—There is no food substance more variable or more complex than hay, for under that term are included, not only mixtures of grasses, but also of leguminous plants—clover, for example. The herbage of no two meadows is exactly alike; and the composition of the meadow plants is so greatly modified by differences of climate, soil, and mode of culture, that we have nothing to excite our wonder in the extreme variability of hay.
The composition of the hay made from clover, lucerne, and various other kinds of artificial grasses, is shown in the table—which is based on the results of Way's analyses:—
| COMPOSITION OF THE HAY OF ARTIFICIAL GRASSES. | ||||||
| Flesh-forming Substances. | Fatty Matters. | Respiratory Substances. | Woody Fiber. | Ash. | Water. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trifolium pratense—Red clover | 18·79 | 3·06 | 37·06 | 16·46 | 7·97 | 16·6 |
| Trifolium pratense perenne—Purple clover | 15·98 | 3·41 | 35·35 | 21·63 | 6·96 | " |
| Trifolium incarnatum—Crimson clover | 13·83 | 3·11 | 31·25 | 26·99 | 8·15 | " |
| Trifolium medium—Cowgrass | 20·27 | 2·97 | 30·30 | 20·12 | 9·67 | " |
| Do., second specimen | 15·64 | 3·98 | 41·38 | 15·70 | 6·64 | " |
| Trifolium procumbens—Hop trefoil | 17·07 | 3·89 | 36·55 | 18·88 | 6·94 | " |
| Trifolium repens—White trefoil | 15·63 | 3·65 | 33·37 | 22·11 | 8·57 | " |
| Vicia sativa—Common Vetch | 19·68 | 2·55 | 32·87 | 22·82 | 5·42 | " |
| Vicia sepium—Bush vetch | 19·23 | 2·40 | 27·62 | 25·87 | 8·21 | " |
| Onobrychis sativa—Sainfoin | 15·38 | 2·51 | 38·30 | 20·59 | 6·56 | " |
| Medicago sativa—Lucerne | 10·63 | 2·30 | 33·47 | 28·51 | 8·42 | " |
| Medicago lupulina—Yellow clover | 20·50 | 3·38 | 27·76 | 22·66 | 9·03 | " |
| Plantago lanceolata—Rib grass | 11·91 | 3·06 | 33·58 | 27·56 | 7·23 | " |
| Poterium sanguisorba—Burnet | 13·96 | 3·34 | 39·50 | 19·89 | 6·64 | " |
| Achillea millefolium—Millefoil | 8·62 | 2·09 | 37·88 | 27·24 | 7·50 | " |
| Mean | 15·81 | 3·18 | 34·42 | 22·47 | 7·59 | 16·6 |
Very many analyses of hay have been made by British and Continental chemists, the results of which are of great interest to the agriculturist. The composition of the natural and artificial grasses, which is shown in the tables given in pages 158-9 will, if we reduce their per-centage of water to 16, give us an approximation to the composition of hay. If the herbage, too, be sown in the proper time, and the hay-making process be skilfully conducted, there will be but little difference, except in the amount of water, between the plants in their fresh and dry state; but owing to inopportune wet weather, and carelessness in manipulation, excellent herbage is not unfrequently converted into inferior hay.
According to Dr. Voelcker, the average composition of meadow-hay, as deduced from the results of twenty-five analyses, is as follows:—
| Water | 14·61 |
| Flesh-forming constituents | 8·44 |
| Respiratory and fatty matters | 43·63 |
| Woody fibre | 27·16 |
| Mineral matter (ash) | 6·16 |
| ——— | |
| 100·00 |
Dr. Anderson's analysis of meadow-hay, one year old, and of inferior quality, gave the following results:—
| Water | 13·13 |
| Flesh-forming matters | 4·00 |
| Non-nitrogenous substances | 77·61 |
| Mineral matter | 5·26 |
| ——— | |
| 100·00 |
The results of the investigations of Way prove that the herbage of water-grass meadows is more nutritious than that of dry meadows—results perfectly harmonious with the experience of practical men.