102 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



raked and hauled it directly to the silo have reported sat- 

 isfactory results. Others report having cut it in the 

 late afternoon and, the next morning, after a heavy rain, 

 raked and hauled it to the silo while dripping wet. 

 Therefore the farmer in the eastern and southern states, 

 in the Pacific Northwest, or even in the central states 

 may, on occasion, plan for the ensiling of his first cutting, 

 in the faith that it will come out in fine condition if his 

 silo is properly constructed. 



SUGGESTIONS FOR SILOING 



The Kansas and Colorado experiment stations recom- 

 mend that alfalfa for silage should be cut into lengths 

 of, say, two inches. Long alfalfa does not pack suffi- 

 ciently close in the silo, and when so stored the loss is 

 much more than if in short lengths. It should always be 

 heavily weighted and great care taken to pack it well at 

 the outer edges. Round silos are most approved because 

 their contents are more readily compacted. The points 

 urged by Professor Ten Eyck, of the Kansas experi- 

 ment station, are, (a) getting the alfalfa to the silo 

 quickly after mowing, allowing little, if any, curing; (b) 

 cutting the alfalfa into short lengths rather than storing 

 it whole; (c) packing it tightly, and weighting heavily 

 when all in. He says, however, that if the weather will 

 permit proper curing of the alfalfa, it will make more 

 valuable winter feed as hay than as silage. 



BALING 



The increasing general demand for alfalfa hay in the 

 city markets of the United States, away from the dis- 

 tinct alfalfa regions, has made finding a method of pre- 



