Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station. 172 



results be obtained by feeding some other forage in connection 

 with alfalfa?, and, to what extent will it pay to try to raise grain 

 for the purpose of finishing alfalfa-fed stock? It is the aim of the 

 work of this department to throw light upon these propositions. 



Upon taking up the work here in the fall of '99 the writer 

 found available for experimental use a small area of sorghum and 

 some plots of corn, Kaffir corn, and teosinte. There was some 

 alfalfa hay that had been damaged by rain and no alfalfa pasture. 



It was determined to feed small lots of steers with a view to 

 getting some indication as to the value of alfalfa fed alone and al- 

 falfa fed in combination with the other forages at hand. Eight 

 steers from ten to fourteen months old were purchased for this 

 purpose and divided into two lots as nearly as possible equal in 

 age, weight and apparent thrift. Four of the lot were from white- 

 face dams and the rest gave evidence of shorthorn blood. Two 

 had been skim-milk calves and though in good thrifty condition 

 were not so fat as the remainder of the bunch. 



alfalfa hay vs. alfalfa hay and corn fodder. 



For the first five weeks of the experiment Lot I was fed corn 

 fodder in addition to alfalfa hay; Lot II received the alfalfa hay 

 only. The hay fed both lots was of rather poor quality and gave 

 evidence of having been damaged by rain. The fodder corn had 

 been cured in the field, was very dry and much bleached. The 

 corn had been planted close together and practically no ears had 

 formed though there were occasional nubbins. 



During this period Lot I ate 151 2 lb. of hay and 1247 lb. 

 of corn fodder and gained 195 lb. in weight or 1.39 pounds a day 

 per head. 



Lot II ate 2929 lb. of alfalfa hay and gained 145 lb. in 

 weight, or 1.03 pounds a day per head. 



ALFALFA HAY VS. ALFALFA HAY AND KAFFIR CORN. 



During the next period of five weeks Kaffir corn was sub- 

 stituted for fodder corn in the feed of Lot I. Like the corn fod- 

 der the Kaffir corn was field cured and dry. Seed had not formed 

 abundantly and most of what had formed had been taken by the 

 blackbirds. After two weeks of this period the alfalfa hay fed was 

 of good quality. 



