162 ALFALI A. 
tv two acres which is a thick stand. Isowed the alfalfa 
with oats which I mowed for hay after it was headed out. 
About four weeks aiter, 1 mowed the young alfalfa again 
and Jeftit on the ground. My soil is a heavy timber clay 
soil. I believe alfalfais the most profitable feed we can raise 
for all kinds of stock. 
Yours very truly, 
NICHOLAS BECKER. 
THE CHEMICAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALFALFA. 
Although this work was not undertaken until a few 
days before the first crop was harvested, it was thought 
that data of value could be secured. Three samples of one 
square yard each were taken at weekly interval from a plot 
of a Western variety, and two samples at weekly intervals 
from a plot of a Turkestan variety. Both of these plots 
were in the field used by the Animal Husbandry Division; 
the Western variety was on range 4, plot 7; the Turkestan 
variety on range 4, plot 4. The results of the analyses, cal- 
culated on a basis of water free substance, are given in 
Table LXVI. 







TABLE LXVI. 
WESTERN TURKESTAN 
Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut 
June 3. June 10 June 24 June 3 Jusce 10 
PemCt. PeniCt: PemGt Per Ct: Peres 
TOLAWNtTOe en esc. encesss ces 3.28 2.85 2.06 3.03 2.67 
Proteid Nitrogen................. 1.93 1.87 1.58 2.24 1.85 
Per cent proteid nitrogen to total nitromn| 659 27 65.94 76.65 73.97 69.30 
Crude proteid (Total nitrogen X6.25).! 20.50 WZfeteyal 12.87, 18.94 16.68 
Ether eamtrac tec. scsscessss tere 2.50 2.48 2.13 2.28 2.26 
ub eiseescsdcocesasestansesescecssasescss 30.70 4.1.76 43,63 40.59 42.00 
Nitroyen-free-extract.......... 36.04 29.55 35.55 30.66 31.52 
1S nA R EBACE CORCLOUROOCCECOCDDON HSCGEC 10.26 8.40 5.92 7.53 7.54 
Lbs. Dry Matter per sq. yd. 265 295.8 362.7 260.4 257.2 



The first crop from these two fields was harvested June 
9th. It will be observed that on June 3rd, at which time, 
the first blossoms were appearing, there is the highest per- 
centage of both total nitrogen and proteid nitrogen, and the 
lowest percentage of fiber for both varieties. This would 
indicate that the crop should be cut soon after the first 
