LEGUMINOUS PLANTS FOE FORAGE 231 



material, containing pieces half an inch in length. Compared with hay 

 the meal is easier to transport to distant markets, there is somewhat less 

 waste in feeding it, and for animals having poor teeth, or horses worked 

 long hours, the grinding is undoubtedly beneficial. (507) The bulky 

 meal is also helpful in diluting heavy concentrates, which, if carelessly 

 fed, may cause digestive disturbances. For these reasons alfalfa meal 

 has a legitimate field. However, grinding ever so finely will not trans- 

 form a roughage into a concentrate. As shown elsewhere (424), with 

 animals having good teeth and ample time to masticate their food, 

 grinding hay does not increase its digestibility. Owing to the great 

 palatability of well-cured alfalfa hay, but little is refused when it is fed 

 long. Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine without chemical or 

 microscopic analysis whether alfalfa meal has been made from nutritious, 

 leafy, early-cut hay or from over-ripe, stemmy material. Hence the meal 

 should be purchased on guarantee of composition, special attention being 

 paid to the fiber content, which in first-class meal should not be higher 

 than in good quality hay, or about 30 per ct. 



From 4 trials at the Colorado Station 19 Morton concludes that for 

 fattening lambs the value of ordinary alfalfa hay may be increased 15 

 to 25 per ct. by grinding, but that with hay of good quality the saving 

 was less. (834) McCampbell of the Kansas Station 20 found that alfalfa 

 meal, fed dry, irritated the nostrils of horses and that they preferred long 

 hay to the meal when wet. He concludes that alfalfa meal is not a 

 desirable or an economical feed for horses when good alfalfa hay is 

 available. (507) In view of the fact that the market price of alfalfa 

 meal is often as high or higher than wheat bran, it is important to note 

 that in most of the trials carried on by the experiment stations substitut- 

 ing good quality alfalfa meal for an equal weight of bran lessened the 

 production of dairy cows. (613) Ordinarily the stockman can produce 

 roughage more economically on his farm than he can purchase it in com- 

 mercial feeds. In case he desires to mix hay with heavy concentrates the 

 material may readily be cut sufficiently fine in a silage cutter, especially 

 with a cutter provided with an alfalfa screen. Unless good alfalfa meal 

 sells at a lower price than wheat bran its purchase can not be recom- 

 mended in most instances. 



Molasses, either beet or cane, is now mixed with alfalfa meal, the 

 product being sold as "alfalmo" or under other names. The mixture 

 is well-liked by stock, but its economy as a feed must be determined by 

 comparing the composition and price with those of other feeds. Many 

 mixed feeds, discussed in Chapter XI (288), contain more or less al- 

 falfa meal. 



II. RED CLOVER 



345. Medium red clover, Trifolium pratense. This legume, commonly 

 known as red clover, is the most important legume in the humid sections 

 "Colo. Bui. 187. 20 KaH. Bui. 186. 



