482 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Vol. XXV, 1918 



TABLE V. 

 SUDAN GRASS HAY VS. ALFALFA HAY' FOR MILK PRODUCTION 



This shows a difference in production of 0.5 pound of milk per 

 head per day in favor of the alfalfa hay. This is not a large dif- 

 ference but if the experiment had been run for another thirty- 

 day period so as to facilitate the elimination of the decrease in 

 production due to advance in lactation, there is little dou'bt but 

 what the Sudan grass, hay would have sho\^Ti up even less favor- 

 ably. The fact that the cows increased in weight when receiving 

 the alfalfa is significant. 



The Kansas records also show that when the herd of milking 

 cows was turned from a native pasture on to a Sudan pasture the 

 average daily production of milk was increased 3.2 pounds per 

 head even though Sudan gTass is not a first class pasture plant. 

 In addition they also found that for wintering work horses imd 

 mules and young beef cattle Sudan grass hay was of consider- 

 ably less value than alfalfa hay. 



EXPERIMENTAL WORK. 



The Sudan grass used in the work reported in this paper was 

 grown on the College dairy farm. During the two years, this 

 crop has been grov^Ti there it has given good results as a soiling 

 crop, the average yield being eleven tons of green feed per acrfc 

 for one cutting. In 1916 a small amount of second growth was 

 made into hay. Sudan grass seems to be palatable and much rel- 

 ished by the stock and good results have been obtained in the 

 feeding of both the soiling and the hay. 



In 1915 analyses were made of the crop at various stages of 

 growth. The samples were all taken from one small plot in the 

 centre of the area grown for soiling and the results of the anal- 

 yses are expressed as percentages of the total dry matter present. 



SBul. 212 ; Kans. Sta. 



