22S STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



At the date of this writing (May 10, 1905) it is A'ery evident that the clipping 

 was a serious injury to the field, since, although the ground is poorer where the 

 clipping was not done, the alfalfa is taller, stronger and a better stand. 



COMPOSITION OF THE TIIKEE CUTTINGS. 



Samples of the harvests of June 7, July 11 and August 30 were taken for 

 analysis with the following results: 



Ash. Total protein, Trup proteids, 



per cent. per cent. per cent. 



June 7 10.39 14.39 8.60 



July 11 10.00 14.57 ' S.78 



August 30 8.91 16.57 2.02 



The small per cent of true proteids in the third cutting is very significant 

 as it is to the true proteids, not to the amids that the total protein owes its feed- 

 ing value. The hay from the third cutting ought to have less feeding value than 

 that from either of the earlier harvests of the year, notwithstanding its apparent 

 greater richness in total protein. 



HARVESTING. 



The harvesting of the crop has not presented unusual difliculty. The first cut- 

 ting, coming as it does early in June is rather difficult to cure because full of 

 juice and the weather usually wet. Here is the place wliere hay caps are called 

 for and are used at the station. They are not expensive and will last, with 

 reasonable care, for many years. The alfalfa is cut after the dew is off on a 

 bright day, stirred up with a tedder or a side delivery rake, left in loose v/ind- 

 row until the dew begins to fall in the late afternoon when it is piled up into 

 rather large heaps and covered with hay cap. The hay is then allowed to sweat, 

 is shaken out carefully to prevent loss of leaves, is allowed to dry as other 

 hay and hauled to the barn with as little handling as possible i;nd in a condi- 

 tion rather more moist than is usual with clover hay. The danger of hauling 

 too green is that spontaneous combustion may result as is shown by investiga- 

 tions in Kansas. At this station no bad results have followed hauling alfalfa 

 hay when in the tough stage, where it may be twisted into a rope. The danger 

 of allowing the hay to become too dry is that the leaves are lost and the leaves 

 are the part of the plant richest in protein. 



EXPERIENCE OF MICHIGAN FARMERS. 



The Experiment Station has distributed small quantities of alfalfa seed to a 

 large number of farmers and has repeated the distribution for two or three con- 

 secutive years. Seed has also been obtained by enterprising farmers from other 

 sources and experiments have been widely scattered over the State. In 1904 and 

 1905 the farmers have reported their success to the station. Extracts from some 

 of these letters will be of interest and value. Of seventy-six reports, thirty-two 

 record failures, twenty-four record partial success for a single year and sixteen 

 cases where the alfalfa had lived at least two years. 



The failures are ascribed to many causes, chief among which were the severe 

 winters of 1902-3 and 1903-4. In these cases the damage seems to have been done 

 by coats of ice in the spring rather than by extreme cold weather. It is significant 

 that alfalfa seems to do well in the upper peninsula where the thermometer falls 

 lower than in the southern peninsula, but where there is a certainty of a good 

 cover of snow from early fall to late spring, though even here it is seriously 

 if not fatally injured by the winter. 



In Special Bulletin No. 31, Superintendent Geismar of the Upper Peninsula 

 substation, says: "The yield of the alfalfa plots has increased each year and 

 the large yield of the past season shows that the plants are now fully established 

 and that this valuable crop is well adapted to Upper Peninsula conditions." A 

 later report #rom the substation, written in April, 1905. since the snow has left 

 the ground, shows that the plants are nearly killed. There was a good cnat of 

 snow over the ground all winter and the injury to the plants is not easily ac- 

 counted for unless the dense covering with a hard crust for part of the winter be 



