No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 377 



fine fields in the State. We doubtless have much to learn concern- 

 ing it. But I am persuaded that an intelligent study of the plant, 

 with repeated trials, will result in its production on most farms in 

 the State. And when once the clovers are plentifully produced and 

 turned into our soils, and corn and alfalfa are grown as our princi- 

 pal feeding-stuffs, a new era will have dawned on Pennsylvania 

 agriculture, and the/sad refrain, ^'farming does not pay," will be 

 heard no more. 



The interest in this subject that I witness in many parts of the 

 State, the intelligence and enthusiasm with which trials are being 

 inaugurated, leads me to believe that the light of that era is now on 

 the eastern sky and that my eyes shall not close upon the scene 

 until that sun has arisen and the net profits of agriculture shall 

 have been doubled. 



MR. HUTCHISON: I would like to ask the Doctor a question if 

 it would be in order. Doctor, do you know the analysis of alfalfa, 

 what it is in fat and protein? 



DR. THAYER: Alfalfa hay would analyze 220 to 260 pounds of 

 protein. The lowest estimate is 220 pounds, ranging from that to 

 260 pounds of digestible protein. 



On motion, a vote of thanks was extended to Dr. Thayer for his 

 most excellent paper. 



MR. HUTCHISON: Doctor, had you ever any experience with 

 alfalfa meal? 



DR. THAYER: No, not of my own; it is being used, though, 

 greatly, and said to be an excellent feed in mashes for hens and for 

 cows also. 



MR. HUTCHISON: In December, I found that they were selling 



alfalfa meal and it was giving good results. That was the first lot 



that I came across in my work, and the dealers told me that it was 



very popular and they were beginning to use it; that the farmers 



were buying it and using it with good results. 



The CHAIR: What is alfalfa meal and how is it made? 



MR. HUTCHISON: It is gound-up alfalfa, I presume. 



The CHAIR: Just the stalk, green? 



MR. HUTCHISON: The green stalks. We had a sample of it 

 at Bellefonte; Mr. Campbell presented it. There was a large quan- 

 tity I came across in Erie; it was being sold to all their farmers and 

 they were pleased with it. It was an experiment, they said, in 

 buying this lot. 



COL. DEMMING: Has the author of the paper observed the 

 difference between alfalfa-fed and corn-fed beef? 



DR. THAYER: No. I could not distinguish the difference in the 

 beef submitted, whether it was fed on corn of on alfalfa. 



COL. DEMMING: My experience is somewhat different. I spent 

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