The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1899-09-01
PRESS BULLETIN.
AIfnlra Cutting Timc-Its
Feeding Value.

just what time in lie growth alfalfa
should lie cut Tor best results, compost.
ton, annual yield per acre, and feeding
value all being taken into account. In
connection with this work the feeding
value Of such well known roughage erops
as timothy hay, corn fodder. and red
clover has been compared with that Of
alfalfa.
For this experiment q field Of alfalfa
was divided into three equal pieces, one
bcirg regularly cut whom the hrst blooms
appeared, the second when In ful. bloom.
and the third when half the blossoms
had fallen, these being denominated
early, medium and late cuttings, roepce.
lively. Incidentally there was made
comparison Of the first, second and third
crops.
The details Of this investigation are
reported Ia Bulletin No. 81 Of the Utah
Station, copy Of which may be OBJ
tanned by addressing tho director at
Logan. Below are given lhe more i'm
poriant facts, together with the conclu-
sions that may DO legitimaicly drawn
from the results
J. The largest annual yield Of hay
per acre IL obtained by the method Of
early cutting aud the lovestby the late.
the average result standing as follows:
Early cutting, 1907 medium, %; and
late, So.
3 The early cut alfalfa contains the
highest per cent Of protein and fat, the
mos, valuable food constituents, aud the
lowest per cent Of crude Gber. the most
indises,ible portion. The former de-
crcases constantly while the latter in
ereases rapidly from carly bloom 10 the
full maturity Of the plant.
.. The proportlona,e amount Of leaves
tosisms Il as4Af...r--a Azsis- 49, -
at any subsequent time, and both leaves
and stems contain a greater per cent OF
protein aud less per cent Of crude nbcr
at this time than at any later period In
the growth Of the plant. The relative
proportion Of leaves to stems In the dif-
ierent cuttings is as follows; Early, ~
to 81; medium, 90 to 90; late, 80 to 81.
4. Alfalfa leaves as compared With
stems are very much richer In protein,
fat aud nitrogen.iree exlra,t, and they
contain much smaller proportion Of
crude fber. The percent Of the protein
and fat grows constantly less aud that
Of the crude hber greater from the timo
OF early bloom 10 maturity, The average
composition Of all cuttings and crops
shows the leaves to contain 100 per cent
more protein than the stems, 3OOper cent
more lat, SO per cent moro uilrogen-iroc
extract, aud 25G per cent less crude
Gbcr.
8 The more important nutrients,
protein and fat, have the highest per
lcent of digesubility in the early cut
tinss, and it grows less and less with Tie
age OF the plant.
., In the feeding tests, the highest
gains were made from the early cu,iings
and the lowest from the late, the results
standing proportionalely rs follows.
Early cutting, 100 medium, So anl
late, 20.
n 2. The variation In the amount Of the
the different cuttings eaten per day was
very eight, beng the highest for the
early cutting and the lowest for the
late, but the quantity Of dry matter and
also OF digestible matter required for Il
pound Of gain vas decidedly lowest iol
the early cutting ana highest for the
, late, the relative amounts Of dry matter
standing az follows Early eutting, 100
= medium, 1871 and late, 1866,
, 8. The annual beef product per acr,
, was largest from the early cuttings, mo-
= only in the general average bat in earl
] separate seasons test, and that from tn,
= late cuttings wss smallest, the proper
p tional products standing as follows
c Early cutting, 100; medium, 7eJG AM
a late, oOk.
n Q, Taking all points Of comparison
, into consideration, both separately an,
d collectively, including everything tina
pertains to the largest yield and highss