The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1912-01-30

narrower conditions of the individual
scientific experiment.
In word, it is probable that more
alfalfa secrets are being revealed and
more alfalfa history made on this
ranch than on any other farm. OF
ranch in the whole world.
aside from small group of agri-
cultural scientists" declares Doctor
Sudduth alfalfa is looked upon in a
gross sort of way, without any attempt
to differentiate between it's varieties in
the vital matter of the percentage OF
digestible protein which they carry
The measure of digestible protein in
any food product is the measure of its
food value-whether eggs, milk, wheat
corn, alfalfa or any other nutriment
This is the essence and conclusion OF
the whole matter and this is the point
that seems to have been almost en-
tirely overlooked even by the most adj
vanced and progressive growers of al
falfa. To the farmer, alfalfa is just al
falfa; and the only concern he gives
himself regarding the variety that he
shall plant is whether it will catch and
make stand on his SOIL whether ii
will winter-kill in his particular eli
y
That is as far the average farmer goes
in selecting a variety for his land
and even the experienced alfalfa grow
er does not usually go much farther
than that The fact is that the mat
tiers of yield, of catch, of resistance to
climatic extremes, are only the A, B. C
OF alfalfa. They are important and
elemental, but they are only the be-
ginning of the tale.
IF one variety of alfalfa will yield
only fourteen per cent Of digestible
protein, and another will give seven
teen per cent, it doesn't require much
of a mathematician to figure out the
difference in actual value and the adj
vantage of raising the seventeen per
cent kind, provided he happens to be
located where he can raise it. BY
careful and special methods of culti-
walton and harvesting, / have been
able to increase the protein content Of
certain alfalfa grown on my Montana
dryfarming benchlands from the or
binary fourteen per cent to seventeen
per cent. or course climate and soil
have very much to do with this, but
there is no question that the alfalfa
bred up to this high protein content
are liable to perpetuate that character
istic to a high degree, even under adj
verse conditions of climate and soil
For, to vary the expression, seed from
these high-protein alfalfas will, if
sown in different soil, and under hui
mid climatic conditions, produce al
falfa plants of greater protein content
than those grown from seed not bred
up as we say, along the line of pro-
ducing high percentage of protein.
This matter of the actual amount
of nourishment contained in a ton of
alfalfa Of this or that variety is so i'm
pOrtant that too much emphasis cam
not be laid upon it. 1t is the one big
thing the alfalfa farmer to wake up to
just now. And, by the same token, ii
is a wonder that the alfalfa buyer has
not walked up to it long ago. | have
fattened both sheep and cattle for the
market and put them in fine condition
On mountain-grown alfalfa that has
been carefully selected and bred-up
Tor the express purpose of putting the
protein or food value into it; | am
willing to go on record with the state
nent that this cannot be done with