1916.] WHY GROW ALFALFA? 65 



Alfalfa for Hay. 



Alfalfa and Farm Management : — Alfalfa has a place in good 

 farm management although the science of farm management is a 

 very much larger and broader subject than the growing of alfalfa. 

 Good farm management is larger than the growing of any one 

 crop or than the growing of all of the crops at a profit. Good 

 farm management includes the making of a wise decision as to 

 whether a person should be a farmer at all or not ; and if a 

 farmer, then whether he should be a grain, fruit, dairy, market 

 garden farmer or stock raiser. Good farm management includes 

 the right choice of a farm, the organization of the right amount 

 of land, labor and capital so as to do a large enough business 

 with enough diversified operations so that labor and capital may 

 be employed profitably. Good farm management includes the 

 utilization of all products so as to derive a profit. Good farm 

 management means a wise distribution of labor throughout the 

 year. That makes of farm management a very complex process. 

 Among the things which a farmer must decide is what crops he 

 will grow and how much of each crop. A farmer should grow 

 the maximum amount of the most profitable crops. The maximum 

 amount means the m.aximum amount which he can handle profit- 

 ably. 



' All farms must have something for hay. A good farm 

 manager will try to grow the hay that affords the most feed at 

 the lowest cost. The New Jersey Station found the cost of hay as 

 follows : 



Cost per acre. Cost per ton of hay. Tons per acre. 



Alfalfa, 9-acre field, $19.17 $5.50 3.48 



Ensilage, 6-acre field, 28.88 3.32 8.68 



Oats and peas, 10 acres, 15.80 6.83 1.66 



Timothy, 10 acres, 34.05 8.58 2.98 



When we consider that ensilage is about 75 per cent, water 

 while alfalfa hay is about 7 per cent, water, we readily see that 

 alfalfa is the cheapest roughage grown. Of course different 

 farmers can vary each of these figures considerably, but I think 

 that we shall find that the ratios remain about the same. Alfalfa 

 is not only the cheapest roughage grown but alfalfa hay is by far 

 the most nutritious hay to feed. 



