253 



month at a cost of $18 to $20 per acre (including weighing) if 

 harvested with the sickle. The use of the machine mower and 

 horse cultivator will aid greatly in reducing the cost of production. 



Every dairy should have alfalfa and corn or sorghum fields. 

 These crops yield heavily at low cost and make very good mix- 

 tures for the silo and feeding ration. 



Cows are especially fond of alfalfa, sorghum and corn, and 

 judicious feeding will prevent them from getting "ofif feed." 



Alfalfa has done well in all parts of the United States and in 

 Hawaii. 



The average annual yields of the common variety in the United 

 States is three to five tons of dry hay per acre from three to five 

 cuttings. In California the average annual yield is five tons of 

 hay per acre from five to seven cuttings, though 10 to 12 tons 

 have been obtained from nine cuttings on the best alfalfa lands. 



Hawaii can produce an equivalent of 10 tons of dry hay per 

 acre during the first year and still more than that during the 

 second. Nine months from the time of seeding the College of 

 Hawaii experimental plot (common Utah) has produced an 

 equivalent of 26.10 tons green or 5.22 tons of hay from six cut- 

 tings. 



Our last crop of the Utah strain yielded 9.24 tons of green 

 fodder or 1.85 tons of dry hay per acre. Taking this as a basis, 

 and allowing for 12 cuttings, one acre should and undoubtedly 

 will produce in one year (second year's growth) 110.88 tons of 

 green feed, or 22.20 tons of hay. Half this yield would be prof- 

 itable. 



CONCLUSION. 



Alfalfa is an extremely dififi,cult and expensive crop to estab- 

 lish, but owing to its long life and high yields and feeding value, it 

 is in the end very profitable. 



The discouragements which accompany the establishment of the 

 crop are very trying, but success requires only a few months of 

 persistence and a "never-say-die" spirit on the part of the grower. 



This crop, together with corn — which has yielded as high as 94 

 bushels of grain per acre and an average of from 70 to 80 bushels 

 at the Collesre of Hawaii — is worthy of attention and trial by 

 every stock feeder in the Territory. 



W. H. Meinecke. 



May 31, 1913. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

 Adulteration of Seed. 



I'armers ' Bnl. No. 495. 

 Analysis. 



Idaho Sta. Bnl. 66. Nev. Sta. Bnl. 63. 



N. J. Sta. Bui. 201. La. Rta. Bnl. 9S. 



Micli. Sta. Bnl. 271. N. Y. Sta. Bnl. 291. 



Nev. Sta. Ept. 1909. U. S. D. A.-B. P. I. Cir. 116. 



Mass. Sta. Bui. 120. 



