970 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The composition of the ash of pea vines in full bloom and in full pod 

 and of alfalfa in full bloom was also determined and is shown below: 



Composition of ash of pea vines and alfalfa. 



Carbon 



Sand 



Silicic acid 



Phosphoric aci<l 



Sulphuric acid • 



Carbon dioxid 



Chlorin 



Calcium oxid 



Magnesium oxid 



Ferric oxid 



Aluminicoxid 



Manganic oxid (brown) 



Potassium oxid 



Sodium oxid 



Moisture 



Sum 



Less oxygen, equivalent to chlorin 



Total 



Pea vines 



in 

 full bloom. 



Ver cent. 



Trace. 



5.033 



2.620 



6.726 



4.767 



18. 325 



6.231 



11.614 



3.669 



.659 



.366 



.262 



36.164 



1. 366 



Notdet'd. 



100. 802 

 1.188 



99. 614 



Pea vines 



in 



full pod. 



Per cent. 



Trace. 



4.524 



3.293 



7.070 



2.620 



21.455 



3.765 



16. 650 



4.192 



.560 



.548 



.560 



30. 917 



3.629 



.856 



100. 939 

 .855 



full bloom. 



cent. 



11. 112 



.829 



.881 



5. 234 



5.608 



23. 730 

 8.500 



27. 620 



3.798 



.269 



.089 



.168 



24. 240 

 .943 

 .000 



102.021 



1. 920 



The author sums up his work with hay as follows: 



"(1) The composition of alfalfa hay grown under the same climatic conditions 

 does not vary from year to year more than samples of the same year, which is within 

 fairly narrow limits. 



"(2) Climatic or seasonal differences do affect the composition of the hay. This, 

 however, affects the different cuttings of the same year rather than the crops for a 

 whole year, but this effect is comparatively small and expresses itself most pro- 

 nouncedly in the percentage of crude fiber. 



"(3) The amount of the protein in alfalfa hay does not decrease with but rather 

 increases with age, if the hay is kept in a close mow. 



"(4) The changes in the hay probably affect the amount and character of the 

 nitrogen-free extract. 



"(5) The protein of the different cuttings is about equally digestible, as deter- 

 mined by means of pepsin-hydrochloric acid. There is, however, a slight difference 

 in favor of the hay cut when the plants were in full bloom. 



"((i) The digestibility of the protein does not vary materially from year to year. 

 nor is it affected by the age of the hay if well kept. 



"(7) The lignocellulosea in alfalfa increase with the age of the plant, but there 

 aro exceptions which can not be justly attributed to methods of determination. 



"(8) The presence and amount of sugar, starch, etc., depend upon the development 

 of the plant at the time of cutting, and is at all times comparatively small. 



"(9) The liguocelluloses aro more abundant in the leguminous hays than in those 

 made from our native grasses, but the cellulose is much more abundant in the latter. 



"(10) The soluble portion of leguminous hay is greater than that of the little hay 

 made from the grasses, which accounts for their susceptibility to weathering." 



Feeding tests with barley, W. W. Cooke (Colorado Sta. Bui. 10, 

 pp. 15-40). — Experiments are reported with pigs, steers, and sheep to 

 compare barley with wheat and corn, barley fed alone and with corn, 

 and bald barley with common barley and with corn ; and to learn the 

 value of grinding common and bald barley. The feeding stuffs used in 



