126 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



It will be noticed, that iu one case the protein was supplied in the 

 form of a concentrate ; in the other, in the form of roughness, form- 

 ing one-half of the whole feed. 



In the first column we have 90 per cent com, and the rest, 10 

 per cent linseed meal. In the next we have corn, 100 per cent and 

 alfalfa hay and prairie hay equal parts. On the com, without the 

 linsed meal, using alfalfa hay, the gain per steer per day was 2.29. 

 In the next year, for the whole period, we get a slightly larger 

 gain by the use of alfalfa. The cost of producing 100 pounds of 

 gain, in the first experiment, with linseed meal, was $7.03 : the cost 

 of producing 100 pounds without the linseed meal was $6.33. In 

 the second experiment, the cost with linseed meal is $6.33, and with 

 alfalfa without the meal, $5.46. 



We have found, therefore, that we can get good gains when 

 alfalfa forms at least half the roughness, even though no com- 

 mercial protein food is fed. This experiment figured out shows, 

 that with linseed meal worth $30 per ton, as a source of protein, 

 alfalfa is worth $13 per ton, in comparison with it. We have found 

 that alfalfa at $13 per ton is just as valuable an adjunct to com, as 

 linseed at $30. 



I have no data on clover yet. But the conclusion to be dra^^m 

 from this is, that you can grow your own protein on the farm in 

 the form of alfalfa or clover, a good deal cheaper for cattle, than 

 you can buy it on the market in the shape of commercial food. 



Question: Have you had any experience in grinding flax? 



Prop. Smith : No ; we have never tried it ; but judging from the 

 composition, I will say ground flax is just the same as linseed meal, 

 with the exception that linseed meal has less oil and slighter higher 

 protein contents. If I were to select from the two foods to sup- 

 lement corn, I would select linseed meal in preference to ground 

 flax. 



Question : Don 't you think that the improved machinery they 

 now have in grinding flax, throws less feeding value in iti 



Prof. Smith : I don 't know, I am sure. 



Let me now review briefly some of the points gone over: First 

 of all, we have shown that alfaKa, fed with corn, is very much 

 superior to prairie hay. We may, I think, safely take it for 

 granted, that clover fed with com is very much superior to timothy, 

 millet or straw. 



The other point is this : Valuable as these protein foods are, we 

 can get along without them, if we have clover and alfalfa. We 



