THE LEGUMES. 85 



Alfalfa has about the same composition as wheat bran. The 

 following table will show the relative value of alfalfa and a few 

 of the important feeds : 



PROTEIN CONTENT. 



Alfalfa 14.42 per cent 



Wheat Bran 11.2 percent 



Oats 9.5 per cent 



Corn 7.8 percent 



Clover : 7.5 percent 



NOTE. It should be remembered that similar experiments by the 

 different experiment stations in testing or analyzing feeds do not always 

 bring the same results. 



The protein content of alfalfa hay has been reported at from. 

 8 per cent for the first, to as high as 20 per cent for the fourth 

 cutting. 



Thirty-four different reports from ten different experiment 

 stations give the average composition of alfalfa as follows : 



Nitrogen 

 Crude Free- 

 Protein. Fat. Fiber, extract. Water. Ash. 



Composition 14.42 1.97 29.98 35.81 9.61 9.41 



Digestive Co-efficient 75.27 40.57 46.37 68.43 50.08 



Value in Feeding. 



The South Dakota Experiment Station "found that without 

 exception the largest gains ever made in a feeding experiment 

 with lambs were made by feeding alfalfa. 



The New Jersey Experiment Station showed that when 

 wheat bran was $22.50 per ton, a ton of alfalfa as a substitute 

 for bran was worth $16.50 a ton, in feeding for milk production. 



The Kansas Experiment Station at Manhattan showed by 

 an experiment that alfalfa was even better than wheat bran for 

 milk production. 



The value of alfalfa in fattening beef cattle has demon- 

 strated its wonderful results in making Argentina one of the 

 greatest beef exporting nations in the world. Millions of acres 

 of alfalfa of luxuriant growth make it possible to produce beef 



