242 Kansas State Board of Agriculture. 



Second and Third Years. 



During the second season the roots are still enlarging rapidly, and one 

 should not expect too much of the field if he wishes to harvest maximum 

 hay crops in succeeding years. 



It is just as important that the plants shall not be robbed by close 

 clipping for hay during the first year or two of growth as it is that they 

 shall not be robbed by close grazing of stock during the same period. 

 The maximum yield of hay harvested in any one season is usually ob- 

 tained in either the third or fourth season. After this the yield gradually 

 declines and the plants suffer more and more from competition with grass 

 and weeds, from fungus injury, insects, and gophers. 



Factors to Consider in Cutting Alfalfa. 



Cattle relish alfalfa hay best when it is cut before the period of full 

 bloom, while horses give best results when fed on hay at least well out 

 in bloom and approaching nearer to maturity. However, since alfalfa 

 hay in most cases does not make up the entire ration for horses, it may 

 be best to consider other factors than that of physiological effect on the 

 animals eating it. 



Various criteria have been used for deciding when it is proper to cut, 

 the two most common being, first, when the blossoms have reached a 

 certain stage, say one-tenth bloom or full bloom, depending on the 

 preference of the individual; and second, when the new shoots are 

 arising at the crown. Both are excellent at times of normal growth, but 

 either may fail under unusual conditions. 



When wet seasons occur, such as was that of 1915, alfalfa does not 

 bloom readily, and the second growth in many cases is six to ten inches 

 high before a single blossom appears. This condition is more frequent 

 in the more humid states than it is in Kansas. In such a case it is best 

 to depend on the new growth arising at the crown to decide when to cut. 

 In rare cases, flowers appear in considerable number before the new 

 growth is noticed, and the forage may approach nearer maturity than is 

 desirable if one waits for the new shoots to appear. 



. It is necessary to combine these two characters of growth in making a 

 decision, and cut whenever one or the other has appeared; i. e., the new 

 growth should not be high enough to be cut off by the sickle, nor should 

 the flowers indicate greater maturity than is desired. 



The time of cutting will depend most largely on just what stage of 

 maturity of the plant will yield the most tons of hay containing the 

 greatest amount of digestible nutrients per ton. Since protein is the 

 most valuable food element in alfalfa hay, the protein contents of the 

 cured hay is the determining factor. 



The protein content of alfalfa stems ranges from about 14 per cent 

 in the bud state to about 11 per cent when the first seeds are forming. 

 In the leaves it ranges from about 28 per cent in the bud stage to about 

 24 per cent in the stage of seed formation. In the bud stage 55 to 66 

 per cent of the hay is leaves, while in the stage of seed formation only 

 40 to 45 per cent of the hay is made up of leaves alone. 



The above figures, determined by the department of chemistry of the 



