The Delta independent., 1920-08-06
UTAH EXPERIMENT HAS PROVEN
VALUE OF EARLY ALFALFA

The Utah experiment station hal
done much valuable work in deter
mining the time OF cutting at which
alfalfa has the greatest feed value
The tests are not merely dependen!
on analysis, but are results in the feed
also. says Lord Ogilivy in the DENY e:
Post The only exceptions that can
be made against early cutting al. in
cases where grass and dandelions
cut the alfalfa. In such cases it has
been found necessary sometimes to
| delay cutting to give the alfalfa plants
the advantage.
In most cases. however, it is more
important to cut before the ne "
sprouts will be clipped and set back.
George Stewart of Utah makes he
following statement:
Two experiment stations have
made a rather exhaustive study of the
stage of growth at which it is most
profitable to cut alfalfa for hay. Kan
sas found that it was slightly more
profitable when only the yield was
concerned to allow the crop to reach
the stage OF full bloom before cutting.
This slight increase in yield Was
more than offset by a decrease in
palatability when blooming was per
mitted to advance beyond the early
stages.
ut was further found that if alfalfa
was cut just as soon as any blooms
appeared that the protein content
was approximately Il per cent. where
as If allowed to pass to full bloom and
let a few seeds begin to form the pro
tein content was only II per cent.
There is loss of more than 90 per
cent of the most valuable food con-
stitutent The protein content of the
leaves decreases from 2s per cent at
the beginning of bloom to "a per cent
at the end
Utah station results are similar ex-
cept that early cutting was found tn
increase the yield as well as the quail
ity of the hay. Early. medium. and
/ late cuttings were found to yield in
the proportions of 100. 80. and So re-
spectively The yields in pounds TO
the acre were 1919. 9.S29 and 800.
The feeding value of the hay in this
experiment was measured by the
quantity of beef produced. The reia-
tive value of the acre-yield OF beei
when the hay was cut early. medium.
and late was 100. 19i4. and 69k re
spectively. Not only was the yield in
creased by early cutting but also the
value per pound. As an average Tor
five years. In order to produce one
pound of gain. II required 1872. 22.o.
and 2S. .O2 pounds respectively OF early.
medium and late cut hay. The rela-
tive values are here shown beyond
question.
In damper regions, or even in wet
ter seasons of the drier sections, ali
faIfa does not bloom readily. In such
cases. II is counted best to watch Tor
the young shoots and cut just as soon
When late cutting is practiced these
new shoots would probably be advanc'
ed far enough in growth for the
mower to cut them back.
Finally. it must be borne in mind
that very early cutting. that is one,
two or three weeks before the first
blossoms or the first new shoots ap'
pear. not only gives low yield OF
poor quality. but weakens the plants
and allows weeds to get started Kan
sas found barley-grass uox taiD TO
increase much more rapidly in alfalfa
fields that were cut extremely early.
The professor goes on to tell how
very bad hay is often made from good
alfalfa by failing to protect the leaves
from withering before they have
drawn the sap from the stems. and
shows that in this matter also the
early cut hay is very much the best.