108 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 186. 



red clover is used for comparison. In order to make the analyses com- 

 parable, they have been brought (in case of the green samples) to sub- 

 stantially a like water basis. In case of the hays, a uniform moisture 

 content of 14 per cent, has been employed. 



Table I. — Chemical Composition of Green Alfalfa and Red Clover. 



Table II. — Chemical Composition of Alfalfa Hay {Red Clover Hay for 



Comparison). 



Num- 

 ber of 

 Analy- 

 ses. 



Water 



(Per 



Cent.). 



Crude 

 Ash 

 (Per 



Cent.). 



Crude 

 Protein 



(Per 

 Cent.). 



Crude 



Fiber 



(Per 



Cent.). 



Ejrtract 



or 

 Starchy 

 Matter 



(Per 

 Cent.). 



Crude 

 Fat 

 (Per 



Cent.). 



Alfalfa, average, ' . 

 Clover, average, ' . 

 Clover, average,' . 



Alfalfa, first cutting, ' . 

 Alfalfa, first cutting,' . 

 Alfalfa, second cutting, ' 

 Alfalfa, second cutting,' 

 Alfalfa, third cutting, ' 



Alfalfa, before bloom,' 

 Clover, before bloom, ' 

 Clover, before bloom,' 



Alfalfa, in bloom, ' 

 Clover, in bloom,' 



Alfalfa, in seed, > . 



250 

 76 

 15 



46 

 3 



33 

 1 



17 



11 



2 

 1 



31 

 1 



8.1 

 7.0 



7.8 



8.3 

 6.7 

 8.3 

 5.8 

 9.0 



9.2 

 6.9 

 9.6 



9.3 



7.7 



6.7 



14.0 

 12.6 

 13.5 



13.1 



14.5 

 13.6 

 13.2 

 13.8 



20.2 

 17.9 

 15.3 



13.9 

 13.2 



11.7 



26.6 

 25.2 

 24.6 



29.0 

 27.5 

 29.6 

 32.7 

 26.8 



18.8 

 17.6 

 24.4 



28.1 

 25.7 



26.5 



35.1 

 38.1 

 37.6 



34.0 

 35.8 

 32.9 

 33.2 

 34.7 



33.9 

 40.1 

 35.0 



33.0 

 37.8 



38.7 



2.2 

 3.1 

 2.5 



1.6 

 1.5 

 1.6 

 1.1 

 1.7 



3.9 

 3.5 

 1.7 



1.7 

 1.6 



A study of the analyses of both the alfalfa and clover shows that these 

 plants resemble each other closely in general chemical composition. They 



' Feeds and Feeding, 15th edition, 1915, Henry & Morrison. 



' Analyses made at the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station. 



