264 Kansas State Board of Agriculture. 



To find the difference in palatability of the mixtures, six feed bunks 

 were lined up in a feed lot and a different kind of alfalfa silage placed 

 in each bunk. After trying this method several days it was noticed 

 that the animals ate the alfalfa and molasses and the alfalfa and corn 

 chop silage first, with the other mixtures in the following order: alfalfa 

 alone, alfalfa and rye, alfalfa and molasses feed, and alfalfa and straw 

 last. The alfalfa and straw made a very poor silage and was eaten very 

 little by the stock. The alfalfa and molasses, alfalfa and corn chop and 

 alfalfa alone were eaten most by the cattle. No comparison was made of 

 the feeding value of the above mixtures. 



As mentioned above, it is believed that sufficient sugars are not pre- 

 sent in alfalfa to cause enough acid to be produced to preserve the alfalfa 

 at its best. The object in adding carbohydrates is to bring this about, 

 and it seems to have accomplished the desired result in the case of corn 

 chop and molasses at least. 



In the spring of 1915 the silos were again filled with mixtures of al- 

 falfa. The silos had previously been painted on the inside, and after fill- 

 ing the silos weights were placed on top of the silage to insure packing. 

 The following mixtures were used in 1915: alfalfa alone, alfalfa and corn 

 chop (10 to 1), alfalfa and blackstrap molasses (10 to 1), alfalfa and 

 blackstrap molasses (20 to 1), alfalfa and rye (2 to 1), and alfalfa and 

 cane butts (6 to 1). 



When these silos were opened the last week of December, 1915, the 

 silage was found to be in excellent condition. As in the previous test, the 

 mixtures had certain peculiar odors, and, as before, the alfalfa alone 

 had the most pungent and offensive odor. The odors of the mixtures 

 were more nearly like the well-known silage odor. In a test to determine 

 which mixture was liked best by cattle it was found that the alfalfa 

 alone was eaten less than any of the mixtures with alfalfa. There could 

 be but little difference noticed between the five mixtures mentioned above. 

 A slight preference seemed to be in favor of the one-to-twenty mixture 

 of molasses and alfalfa, with the one-to-ten mixture second, and the mix- 

 tures of cane butts, corn chop and rye following in the order named. 



In choosing the above mixtures the object has been to select combina- 

 tions that would be practical and could be easily obtained on the farm at 

 the time the first cutting of alfalfa is ready. From the above it would 

 seem that one would be justified in using mixtures of blackstrap molasses, 

 corn chop, rye and cane butts mixed with the green alfalfa for silage. 



The corn chop used above was soaked in water a few hours before being 

 mixed with the alfalfa as it went through the cutter. The rye used was 

 planted early in the fall and used as pasture during 'the winter and 

 spring, and then allowed to grow until it reached the milk stage, when it 

 was cut and run through the silage cutter with the alfalfa. The cane 

 butts used were from a crop of cane that had been headed for seed the 

 previous fall. Kafir and corn fodder could no doubt be utilized in this 

 way if protected during the winter. The blackstrap molasses can be 

 diluted and run into the blower during cutting, or when very thick can be 

 added to the alfalfa as it goes into the cutter. 



An interesting example of the use of what might be called alfalfa 



