686 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



According to the author, there is little danger except in the case of tea which has 

 become moist in some way. If the tea chests become wet in transport, considerable 

 lead may be present in the tea and should be determined in judging of the possible 

 use of such damaged goods. 



Pure food division, H. D. Gibbs (Health Dept. San Francisco, Bui., 1905, Jul},', 

 pp. 17-22; Aug., pp. 10, 11). — The data reported cover the results of an examina- 

 tion of 215 samples of dry red California wines collected in the city and county of 

 San Francisco. D. F. Ragan contributes some information regarding the amount of 

 adulterated wine. 



Judging" the quality of wine vineg^ar, W. Fresenius (Ztschr. Untersuch. Nahr. 

 u. Genussmtl., 10 (1905), No. 1-2, pp. 121-129). — A paper with a discussion presented 

 before the meeting of German Food Chemists in Dresden, 1905. In the author's 

 opinion special attention should be paid to the amount of glycerin present in wine 

 vinegar, as this offers a means of judging of the quality of the product. 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



Alfalfa for the growing and fattening* of animals in the Great Plains 

 region, I. D. Graham ( U. S. Depl Agr., Bur. Anim. Indus. Rpt. 1904, PP- 242-267, 

 pis. 5). — In a discussion of alfalfa, a crop which, in the author's opinion, has revolu- 

 tionized animal husbandry of the Great Blains region, data based largely on the work of 

 the experiment stations and the experience of feeders and breeders are summarized. 



Some of the questions considered are the composition and digestibility of alfalfa, 

 the calculated cost of nutrients supplied by alfalfa and other feeding stuffs, the value 

 of alfalfa hay cut at different periods of growth, alfalfa as a pasturage, soiling, and 

 hay crop, alfalfa meal, and the value of alfalfa, fresh and cured, for different kinds 

 of farm animals and for poultry. The importance of this crop as a honey-producing 

 plant is also spoken of. 



Finely ground, kiln-dried alfalfa hay is called alfalfa meal, and the author states 

 has given satisfactory results as a feeding stuff. "The commercial article is made 

 from selected alfalfa and mixed with sugar-beet molasses in the proportion of 75 per 

 cent alfalfa and 25 per cent molasses." 



The high feeding value of alfalfa for all classes of farm animals is pointed out. 

 Some of the author's deductions follow: 



Horses and mules, the author states, "thrive on alfalfa pasture. . . . While . . . 

 alfalfa is too rich a food for mature horses unless used in combination with some other 

 roughness, it is an excellent feed for young horses, as it seems to contain just the ele- 

 ments necessary to develop bone, muscle, and consequent size. Caution should be 

 used, however, in feeding alfalfa to horses, particularly if they have not been accus- 

 tomed to it. Like other concentrated feeds, it seems to stimulate all the physical 

 processes to such an extent that various disorders of the digestive system may appear. 

 This is particularly noticeable in the urinary and perspiratory glands. . . . 



" When alfalfa is fed to horses in considerable quantity the grain ration must be 

 proportionately reduced and an abundance of other roughness furnished. When 

 horses have attained a mature age and it is desirable to change from other hay to 

 alfalfa, this change must be very gradual, and the alfalfa selected for this purpose 

 should be more advanced in growth at the time of cutting than that which is to be 

 fed to cattle or sheep. As a general statement, very ripe alfalfa hay is the best to use 

 for work horses and driving horses, while that prepared in the usual way — that is, 

 cut when the field is about one-tenth in bloom — is better for the colts. In any event, 

 horses that are fed alfalfa hay must be given abundant exercise." 



For dairy and beef cattle and for sheep alfalfa has given very good results. As 

 regards the use of alfalfa hay for pigs, the author states that "it is better to cut it 



