The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-11-19
VALUE OF ALFALFA.
Experiments In Securing the hest
Alfalfa Hay. GU

Experiments I'm Securing the Hest
i#5 Alfalfa Hay.
The Utah experiment station has
been investigating the feeding Of al
falfa, with special reference to the
stage of development at which the
most valuable hay is made. The fol-
lowing summary is given in Prof. "A.
"A. Mills bulletin No. ~, just pub
liShed: .5%5 55.&
From the results of the three sea-
sons trials with alfalfa, early cut
Gust before blooun), medium cut Zone
week after first bloom), and late cut
Zone week after full bloom), the fol-
lowing conclusions seem warranted:
81 Steers fed either the alfalfa with
or without grain made the most rapid
gains on the early cut, and the lowest
on the late cut, or they stand as fol-
lows: Early cut 100, medium cut ~.
late cut g..
the early cut was first in rate of gain,
while for the first crop the late cut was
better than the medium cut, and for
the second crop the medium cut is far
the better of the two.
80. The food eaten per day was
slightly the highest for the early cut
and lowest for the late cut, standing.
as 100 for the early cut, 80 for the
medium cut, and S5 for the late cut.
81 Pound for pound, the early cut
was the best, the late cut second best
and the medium cut poorest. They
stand as LOO for tue early cut. IS for
the medium cut and 81 for the late
cut.
IS. The early cut yielded the most
hay when weighed into the barn, the
medium cut coming second and the
late cut last.
sc. The early cut contained the most
moisture, and when all are reduced to
the same moisture content, - per
cent, which the hay contained when
fed, the yield stands: EARLY cut 100,
medium cut SO, and late cut 80.
-. In amount Of beef produced per
acre the standing is: EARLY cut 100,
medium cut Il and late cut Il.
sS. In yield Of protein, a very valua-
Bile nutrient, the standing is: Early
cut 100, medium cut IS and late cut 80.
So During the two weeks of budding
and Towering there appears to be no
additional growth; in fact, our results
show a loss Of 80 pounds per acre OF
dry matter during this period.
Further, the results of two years
feeding with different crops Of alfalfa,
red clover, mixed hay, timothy and
alfalfa and straw. appear to warrant
the following conclusions:
81. In rate Of grain per day the diff
ferent feeds stand as follows: First
crop alfalfa, 100; second crop alfalfa,
%; third crop alfalfa, 11O. All crops
alfalfa. 81; red clover, IS; timothy, 81.
80. The food eaten per day varies
about in the same order Gs the gains,
standing as follows: First crop. 100;
second crop, 81; third crop, 1O5; all
crops, 100; red clover, 80; timothy, So.
20. Pound per pound the good alfalfa
proved about equal to timothy, while
in rate Of gain it proved better.
"a. A ration of alfalfa and straw,
with grain, proved superior to one of
alfalfa and grain.
IS. Mixed hay and grain proved SUI
perior to alfalfa and grain, but not
quite so good as alfalfa, straw and
grain.
"6. A ration with q wide nutritive
ratio, to 49, proved much better than
one with a narrow nutritive ratio, to
4.5G, while a ration having a nutritive
ratio of 1 to 4.S1 proved better than
either Of the others.
81. The use of mixed fodder in the
ratiOnS in one case mixed hay and in
the other alfalfa and straw appeared
to have much more to do with the feed
ing value than did the nutritive ratio
of the .rations. However. the ration
that was nearest the Wolff's standard
gave the best results.
80. Better results were obtained by
making the ration wider than the
/ standard by 2.G. than by making it
, narrower by La.
20. BY feeding what straw the ami
mails will eat up clean, our foods rich
in protein alfalfa, bran and wheat
may be fed to good advantage, though
the nutritive ratio be too narrow
40. Where the rations contained but
one class of folders, legumes, the feed.
ing value very closely followed the
amount of protein in the ration; but
when the rations contained any other
folders, mixed hay. timothy or straw,
the varying amounts of protein in the
ration appeared to have little to do
with the variation in feeding value of
the ration