304 



Journal of Agricultural Research voi. xviii, no. 6 



The profits from feeding the ordinary brown alfalfa and the first qual- 

 ity green alfalfa hay were nearly the same, the difference being only 

 $0.31 per steer. Also there was no essential difference in the daily gain 

 made by the two lots. 



The steers fed black alfalfa made unsatisfactory gains. There was a 

 loss of $3.51 per head in spite of the fact that the black alfalfa was valued 

 at only one-third as much as brown alfalfa or ordinary green alfalfa hay. 



Table V. — Steer-feeding experiment, 180 days, comparing black alfalfa -with brown and 



green alfalfa hay 



Factors in experiment. 



Initial weight 



Final weight 



Total gain 



Average daily gain 



Average daily ration: 



Grain 



Oil meal 



Alfalfa hay 



Total feed consumed: 



Shelled corn 



Oil meal 



Alfalfa hay 



Feed required to produce 100 pounds gain: 



Shelled com 



Oil meal 



Alfalfa hay 



Cost of feed per day 



Cost of 100 pounds gain 



Cost of feed per steer 



Initial cost of steer at $8.50 per hundredweight 



Total cost of steer 



Final cost per hundredweight 



Final value per hundredweight 



Final value of steer 



Profit per steer 



Lot 27, fed 

 shelled corn, 



oil meal, 

 alfalfa hay 



(brown). 



Pounds. 



334-7 

 684.8 



350- I 

 1.94 



7-39 



.49 



7.82 



88.2 

 1, 407. 6 



379-9 



23.18 

 402. 01 



$0. 216 

 II. 10 

 38.88 

 28.45 

 67-33 

 9-83 

 10.35 

 79.88 



3-55 



Lot 29, fed 



shelled corn, 



oil meal, 



alfalfa hay 



(black). 



Pounds. 

 338-6 

 600. 7 

 262. I 



1-45 



6.65 



•49 



09. 24 



I, 197. 00 



88.2 

 1,663.5 



456-6 

 33-65 

 0634. 6 



$0. 180 

 12.36 

 32.40 

 28. 78 

 61.18 



10. 18 

 9. 60 



57-67 

 -3-51 



a Calculated to 8 per cent moisture basis to compare with alfalfa fed to other lots. 



SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 



(i) Partially wilted alfalfa stacked without curing undergoes changes 

 which result in the loss of about two-fifths of the organic matter. 



(2) This loss apparently increases with the length of time in the stack 

 and with the degree of fermentative changes that occur. 



(3) Alfalfa which has become black as a result of fermentation is very 

 inferior as a feed for steers in comparison with both brown alfalfa hay 

 and alfalfa hay of good color and quality. 



