368 



ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



equal degree of digestibility for the protein present is possessed 

 by all cuttings, so that their relative feeding value is prac- 

 tically indicated by their composition. Nearly three-fourths of 

 the protein of alfalfa and about sixty per cent, of the carbohy- 

 drates are digestible. 



Composition of the Different Parts. The statements made thus 

 far apply to hay from the entire plant. It is, however, well 

 known that there are great differences between the stems and 

 the leaves. The most detailed analyses in this connection have 

 been made at the Utah station. From a mass of data concern- 

 ing cuttings made at different dates and upon different crops, 

 those concerning the first crop, cut in the early bloom, have 

 been selected and placed in the tables shown below. The first 

 one shows the yield of dry matter in pounds per acre, and also 

 the weight of the stalks, leaves and flowers separately. It also 

 shows the composition of each of these parts and of the whole 

 plant: 



From the above table we see that the leaves and flowers are 

 far richer in protein than are the stalks, while the reverse is 

 true in respect to fiber. Nitrogen-free extract does not show 

 so great a difference but the stalks are notably inferior. In the 

 next table the data are presented in a different form. It shows 

 percentages of ash, protein and fiber in each of the different 

 parts of the alfalfa plant, to total amount of that constituent 

 in entire plant: 



The above table shows that of the total yield 58.75 per cent, 

 is in stalks, but that of the total protein only 38.73 per cent, is 

 in them, while they contain over 81 per cent of the total fiber. 

 On the other hand the leaves, constituting but 38.43 per cent, 

 of the yield, contain 56.74 per cent, of the protein of the entire 



