The Grit-advocate., 1906-05-11
alfalfa
Results Obtained at the Colorado Ex.
pertinent Station.
BY Prof. W. p. Headden.


ter killing. but have seen fine alfalfa,
on good soil with favorable aspect, at
an altitude of nearly 5000 feet. The al
titude at which ii will do well varies
with location and other conditions. 1t
Is safe to assume that il will require
from twenty to twenty-fOur inches of
water 10 the acre to grow the three
crops usually cut in this state.
The first cutting is usually made be-
tween early bloom and half bloom 1t
is not so common TO let il stand till the
plant is in full bloom as it was at one
time. IL the weather is favorable the
first cutting is made as early as posi-
Bile to give a longer season for the
growing of the second and third cut
tings. Some regard is also had for the
purposes for which the hay is to be
used. | believe that the best hay for
feeding purposes is obtained by cutting
when the plant is in full bloom. but it
Is the general practice to cut it in early
bloom.
AS soon as alfalfa passes the stage
Of full bloom there Is a decided fall in
the amount of proteids present. the
same II true Of the nitrogen free eX-
tract. The loss Of proteids amounts
to about % per cent. OF the weight OF
the hay and the prOteids are accord
Ing to the results obtained by artificial
digestion less digestible than at either
early, half or full bloom.
In cases where the alfalfa has been
cut and left in the swath, light rain
OF even heavy dew produces dis.
| coloration. The hay has light yellow
ish brown color and in general a
bleached appearance. The amount of
injury indicated by this color doubt
lessly varies greatly and there is va
| riety OF opinion about the value Of
such law. In one instance in which
some alfalfa was cut and. owing to a
succession OF showers, was not stacked
till thirteen days later, we found very
considerable changes. but we were not
able to determine the total changes,
| for we were unable to determine the
mechanical liss In the weight of the
hay. The differences shown by the
analyses of samples taken as the hay
was cut, and of others taken as it was
stacked, showed a loss Of more than
one-third of the crude protein and one,
seventh of nitrogen free extract, ac-
companied by very decided increase
in the crude fibre. the percentage
found In the injured hay being about
twelve per cent. higher than in the
uninjured sample The amount Of rain.
fall was about one and three-fourths
inches. Experiment shows that tepid
water will dissolve 1000 per cent. out
Of first class, third cutting alfalfa hay;
| further, fermentation sets in readily.
These properties readily explain the
fact that alfalfa is very sensitive to
moisture. The remaining hay may still
be good hay. though its color is not in.
viting. There may, however, have
been a big loss. the remaining hay
weighing possibly only a little more
than six-tenths as much as should have
been gathered, from the crop as cut.
| not reckoning any mechanical loss,
which will certainly have taken place.
The general custom in this part OF
Colorado Is to rake the alfalfa into
windrows as soon after cutting as Is at
all advisable, and complete the neces-
sary curing in windrOw or cock as the
case may be. This practice is the re-
| suit of the observed loss of leaves and
| breaking off of small stems in rakinS
| and handling, if allowed to over cure
| in the Swath The loss, that is, the
| leaves and stems which fall or are
| broken. amounts under favorable Cir
| cumstances, to about one-fifth of the
crop, and can if it is necessary to re-
peatedly handle the hay, amount to
as much as two-thirds of the crop,
which, of course. remains on the
ground to enrich it.
The amount or weight of hay gath
cred compared to that Of the green al
falfa varies within comparatively mar
row limits. With us 100 pounds of first
cutting alfalfa gives about twenty
seven pounds of hay. and 100 pounds Of
second cutting gives about twenty
! nine pounds. These figures do not
agree at all with figures obtained for
other states The Amount of hay OBJ
tained from 100 pounL:' of the green al
falfa, cut from early bloom to full
bloom, has an extreme range Of about
four pounds. This is the case with the
first and second cuttings.
Our average rainfall may be taken al
fourteen and one-half inches. In addi-
tion to this it requires from six to eight
inches of water per acre to grow the
three crops usually cut in this section.
Alfalfa is deep-rooted plant and will
live when once established on high
land even. with the addition of a small
amount OF water, but it needs the above
amount of water to make good
growth.
The excellent results observed to fol
low putting land down to alfalfa for
three or more years. leads to the con-
cluslon that it enriches the soil. In
certain sense this is the case, and the
practice OF seeding rundown land to
alfalfa and leaving it in alfalfa for sew
eral years before breaking it up again
to plant other crops, has been the sal
walton of this section of Colorado. and
yet it does not follow that the alfalfa
plant does not require large amount
of plant food. The average percentage
of crude ash In alfalfa hay is not far
from 1000 per cent. or in a crop of
four and one-half tons. 5000 pounds.
there will be 900 pounds of crude ash.
which will contain 1910 pounds of
phosphoric acid, 23l.5 pounds of pot
ash. 62.S pounds of chlorin, 20S.S
pounds of lime
The considerable. unavoidable loss
incurred in making alfalfa hay, say
from l7.5 to 60 per cent. of the crop,
together with the desirability OF having
some succulent fodder. has led to ex
periments in making alfalfa Silage.
The silage is good and is readily eaten
By cattle. the following analyses may
be taken as representatins its compo-
sition: Moisture, sos; ash, 1913;
q IT.