Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 March 2009
An attempt has been made in the investigation described in this paper to elucidate the nutritional characteristics of winter pasturage. The yield, composition and digestibility have been determined of pasturage produced by unrestricted growth over the following periods: (1) end of July 1932 to December 1932; (2) end of August 1932 to January 1933; (3) end of September 1932 to February 1933; (4) end of October 1931 to March 1932. In both years of experiment the winters were mild and open, and the conditions as a whole were such as to enable the nutritional possibilities of winter grazing to be studied under the most favourable conditions. In order to assess the influence of winter conditions on composition and feeding value the results in every case have been compared with data, obtained in investigations in previous years on the same pasture, for spring and summer herbage of comparable height, stage of growth and botanical composition.