968 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 

 FOODS— ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



A study of alfalfa and some other hays, W. P. Headden (Col- 

 orado Sta. Bui. 39, pp. 34). — In continuation of previous work (E. S. I?., 

 8, p. 768) the author reports analyses of a number of samples of alfalfa 

 bay of the first, second, and third cuttings. In each case samples were 

 taken of plants coming in bloom, in half bloom, and full bloom. The 

 average results of the analyses were as follows: 



Composition of alfalfa. 1 



1 Air-dried hay. 



The results of analyses made in different years at the Colorado and 

 Utah stations are compared. 



To learn whether there was any foundation for the popular belief 

 that hay which lias been stored for from 1 to 9 months in a mow or 

 stack is preferable to older hay, a number of air-dried samples of alfalfa 

 hay were kept for 1 to 2 years in glass stoppered bottles sealed with 

 parafin. The bottles were kept in the dark. In nearly every case it 

 was found that at the end of the time the moisture and nitrogen con- 

 tent of the different samples had increased, though in no case was the 

 increase regular. 



" Our experiments indicate that then- is no loss of the protein, but that chemical 

 changes take place to a considerable extent in some of the other constituents, 

 probably in those complex and less stable compounds grouped under the head of 

 nitrogen-free extract and frequently spoken of as carbohydrates. The apparent 

 increase of nitrogen is easily accounted for by the elimination of water and proba- 

 bly of other compounds also, as oxids or hydrids of carbon." 



Artificial digestion experiments are reported with alfalfa hay of 

 different cuttings kept for different lengths of time. 



The coefficients of digestibility of the protein of different cuttings 

 were as follows: 



"For 1894, first cutting, 79.4:!: second cutting, 80.62; third cutting, 82.69; for 1895, 

 first cutting, 80.64; for 1896, first cutting, 80.14; second cutting, 78.81 ; third cutting, 

 78.85. The average for all the cuttings made in the three years is 7!).79, which is in 

 excellent agreement with the results obtained by animal digestion. 



"The results taken by years are as follows : For 1894, hay two years old, 80.91 ; for 

 1895, hay one year old, 80.64 : for 1896, new hay. 79.27, from which it is clearly appar- 

 ent that the proteids have not lost any of their digestibility, and from this stand- 

 point hay which is one, or even two years old, is quite as good as new hay.' - 



