DIGESTIBILITY OF ALFALFA. 173 
DIGESTIBILITY OF ALFALFA. 
The value of a feeding stuff does not depend entirely up- 
on the amounts of the several nutrients that enter into its 
composition, but upon the amounts of these nutrients that 
the animal can digest and use. In order to determine to 
what extent the nutrients of alfalfa are digested, several 
digestion trials were made. For these trials, two steers, 
weighing about 800 lbs. each, were courteously loaned by 
the Animal Husbandry Division and fed alfalfa hay for a 
period of about ten days before the trial proper began in 
order to accustom the animals to the ration. At the end of 
the preliminary period, the steers were put into specially 
constructed stalls as shown in Fig. 7. 





Fig. 7.—Steer in stall for digestion trial. 
These stalls were designed by Professor Andrew Boss 
and built under his direction. The feeding was done under 
the supervision of Mr. George Craig, of the Animal Hus- 
bandry Division, The steers were weighed when put into 
the stalls and also when removed. The animals were left in 
the stalls for a period of four days and during that time all 
the food which they consumed was carefully weighed and 
samples taken for analysis. The excrements, both solid and 
liquid, were collected by the devices shown in the illustration. 
