10) 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



stems contain a greater per cent of pro- 

 tein and a less per cent of crude fiber at 

 this tiuic (hun at any later period in the 

 growth of the plant. The relative propor- 

 tion of leaves to stems in the different cut- 

 tings is as follows: early, 42 to 58; medium, 

 40 to 60; late, 33 to 67. 



4. Alfalfa leaves as compared with 

 steins are very much richer in protein, fat 

 and nitr g^n-free extract, and they contain 

 a much smaller propon ion of crude fibe!\ 

 The per cent of the protein and fat grows , 

 constantly less and that of the crude fiber 

 greater from the time of early bloom to 

 maturity. The average composition of all 

 cuttings and crops shows the leaves to con- 

 tain 150 percent more protein than the 

 stems, 300 per cent more fat, 35 per cent 

 more nitrogen free extract, and 256 per 

 cent less crud'-t fiber. 



5. The more important nutrients, pro- 

 tein and fat, have the highest per cent of 

 digestibility in the early cuttings, and it 

 grows less and less with the age of the 

 plant. 



6. In the feeding tests, the highest 

 gains were made from the early cuttings 

 and the lowest from the late, the results 

 standing proportionately as follows: early 

 cutting, 100; ms iium, 85; and late, 75. 



7. The variation in the amount of the 

 different cuttings eaten per day was very 

 slight, bring the highest for the early cut- 

 ting and the lowest for the late, but the 

 quantity of dry matter and also of di- 

 gestible matter required for a pound of 

 gain was decidedly lowest for the early 

 cutting and highest for the late, the re- 

 lative amounts jif dry matter standing as 

 follows: early cutting, 100; medium. 131 ; 

 and late, 166. 



8. The annual beef product per acre 

 was largest from the early cuttings, n"t 

 only in the general average but in each 

 separate season's test, and that from the 

 late cuttings was smallest, the proportional 

 products standing as follows: early cut- 

 ting, 100; medium, 79i; and late, 69|. 



9. Taking all points of comparison 

 into consideration, both separately and 



collectively, including everything that per- 

 tains to the largest yield and highest feed- 

 ing value, the tests favor cutting alfalfa 

 for cattle-feeding when the first blooms ap- 

 pear. 



CROP COMPARISON. 



10. The first crop gave the largest yieici 



in each of the fl.-e tests and in fourteen 

 out of the fifteen cuttings, while the third 

 crop gave the lowest for every test and in 

 every cutting but one. The average acre- 

 yields for the five years, including all cut- 

 tings, stand in the following r-lation: first 

 crop, 100; second, 78; and third, 39; for 

 the early cuttings alone, first crop, 100; 

 second, 83; third, 66. 



11. In t l ie avenue composition of all 

 cuttings for three years, the nutrients of 

 the three crops vary bat little. The second 

 has slightly the highest percent of protein 

 and fiber; affd the third tho most fat and 

 nitrogen free extract. 



12. The third crop has the largest pro- 

 portion of leaves to stems; but the per cent 

 of protein in the leaves is highest in the 

 second crop, and next highest in the first. 

 The leaves of the first crop contain the 

 most fat and of the second the least. 



13. The third crop produced a higher 

 average rate of gain in the feeding tests 

 than the first or second and also higher 

 than any of the separate cuttings. The 

 amount eaten daily wasul.vi highest of all. 

 but the dry matter and digest ble matter 

 for a pound of gain were the lowest. In a 

 pound per pound comparison the gains 

 stan,] as follows: first crop, 100; second, 

 81 ; third crop, 126 ; dry matter for a pound 

 of gain, first crop, 100; s<cond, 115; and 

 third, 69. 



14. The beef product per acre, taking 

 the average result of all cuttings for the 

 five year?, was very much the highest for 

 the first crop and decidedly the lowest for 

 the third, standing as follows: first crop, 

 101); second, 61 ; and third, 45; but taking 

 the early cuttings alone they stand, first 

 crop, 100; second, 80; and third, 69. 



15. Pound per pound, taken as a whole, 

 the results show the highest feeding value 



