LEGUMINOUS PLANTS FOR FORAGE 229 



The danger to cattle and sheep from bloat varies greatly with climate 

 and other factors. Tho it is always present in some degree, in such 

 sections as the irrigated districts of the Southwest, but trifling loss is 

 experienced. Sheep are more subject to bloat than cattle. The follow- 

 ing methods advocated by Coburn 10 and Wing 11 will aid in avoiding 

 bloat, tho no procedure is absolute insurance against loss: For perma- 

 nent pasture sow with alfalfa, such grasses as bluegrass, brome grass, 

 or others adapted to your conditions. Use upland in preference to low- 

 land for pasture, and have a constant supply of water for the stock. 

 Frosted alfalfa is especially dangerous, but in the late fall after the crop 

 has dried it may be grazed again. Before turning animals on alfalfa for 

 the first time, allow them to fill up on grass pasture, with grain in 

 addition, if they have been accustomed to it. Then in the middle of 

 the forenoon, when they do not care to graze longer, turn them on the 

 alfalfa. Tho some advise allowing the stock to graze only a few minutes 

 the first day and gradually increasing the length of time on the following 

 days, it is probably safer to keep them on the pasture continuously, for 

 they will then never consume undue amounts at one time. Watch the 

 stock closely for the first few days and remove permanently those animals 

 which exhibit symptoms of bloat, for individuals show great differences 

 in their susceptibility to the trouble. The Miller and Lux Co., who 

 graze thousands of cattle on alfalfa in the San Joaquin valley, Cali- 

 fornia, 12 when starting cattle on alfalfa pasture cut part of a field and 

 turn the cattle upon this portion after the alfalfa is half dry. Then 

 after they are well filled they are allowed to eat whatever of the green 

 crop they wish. 



341. Alfalfa for soilage. Alfalfa is one of the most valuable of all 

 soiling crops, owing to the large yields and the fact that under proper 

 management it will furnish rich succulence thruout the entire summer. 

 Considerably more forage may be obtained from a given area as soilage 

 than animals gather by grazing. In a trial with dairy cows by Lyon 

 and Haecker at the Nebraska Station 13 only half as much feed was 

 secured when alfalfa was pastured as when the crop was cut and fed 

 as soilage. Voorhees of the New Jersey Station 14 reports that the first 

 cutting is ready about the last of May or the first of June, with 3 cuttings 

 following at intervals of from 4 to 6 weeks. In certain hot irrigated 

 sections of the West where no satisfactory grass pastures can be pro- 

 vided in summer, dairy cows are often maintained for most of the year 

 mainly on alfalfa, fed as soilage. In the Sacramento valley many herds 

 are fed 30 to 40 Ibs. of green alfalfa per head daily with what alfalfa 

 hay they will eat, but no concentrates. The allowance of alfalfa soilage 

 may even be increased to 50 Ibs., which amount will furnish nearly 2 Ibs. 

 of digestible crude protein. 15 Alfalfa alone makes a very narrow ration, 

 the nutritive ratio being 1 :4.0 or less. Undoubtedly larger production 



10 The Book of Alfalfa, pp. 109-119. "Nebr. Bui. 69. 



"Alfalfa Farming In America, pp. 338-344. "Forage Crops. 

 "Information to the authors. "N. J. Bui. 148. 



