109 



new shoots begin to appear. As the leaves contain the greatest 

 amount of food value, the crop should be harvested before they 

 have begun to fall. 



Fresh green alfalfa should not be piled up or stacked for any 

 length of time, as it almost immediately begins to heat, and will 

 spoil in a ven.- short time. It should be spread out in the shade 

 until a short time before feeding if it is to be fed green. 



If the crop is to be ensilaged, it should be allowed to dr\- out a 

 little before being placed in the silo, for it has been found that 

 fresh, green, un wilted alfalfa will not make as goc<d silage as that 

 which has been allowed to become partially dry. Since it will not 

 pack v>ell unless it is chopped, one should not take the risk of 

 packing it as it comes from the field. The crop must not be 

 allowed to dry out enou^ to become brittle before being placed 

 in the silo as it will fail to make good silage when in that con- 

 dition- 

 While the silo has not yet come into general use in Hawaii, it 

 has in most cases already proved a successful method of preserv- 

 ing green succulent fodder vmder Hawaiian condition?. And i: is 

 probable that its use will be greatly extended. 



Although Mr. Pond was quite successful in making alfalfa 

 hay and sold considerable baled, hay making has not been prac- 

 ticed in Hawaii except in an experimental way. because green 

 feed is generally available throughout the year and it is therefore 

 unnecessan.- to preserse our fodder. 



However, alfalfa must be cut ven." s-XT'n after marariiy as it 

 cannot profitably be left in the field for more than a week. If 

 the crop cannot be utilized or sold, the only profitable resort will 

 be to turn it into silage or hay. 



The making of alfalfa hay, as practiced on the mainland, is 

 somewhat different from that of wheat hay. owing to the nature 

 of the crop. On large farms kiln dried hay has proved economi- 

 cal, but it is not practical on smaller fields. 



The crop is allowed to lie where it falls as it is cut and is 

 turned over lightly once or t\\nce dvudng the dav". It should be 

 stacked or placed in the sack as soon as the stalks begin to become 

 brittle and care must be taken in handling that too many leaves 

 are not knocked off as they are the best part oi the hay crop. 



Tht Seed Crop is ready to be harvested when the majority of 

 the seeds are mature. The crop is then cut close to the ground 

 as usual, but it is stacked loosely and allowed to dr>- out. the un- 

 ripe seeds meanwhile rii>emng in the stack. WTien the crop has 

 become thoroughly dn.- and brittle, tlie seeds are removed. It is 

 also a general practice to have^a piece of cloth under the stack 

 to catch any seeds that may have shanered, since these are in- 

 variably the plumpest and best seeds of all. 



One crop will produce from eight-tenths to two and one-half 

 bushels of seed. Calculating this at the legal rate of 60 pounds 



