ALFALFA 335 



half in bloom; and in full bloom. The first mentioned 

 was found " richer in ash, protein and fat than that pro- 

 duced by later cuttings, while the crude fiber and the nitro- 

 gen-free extract increase in percentage as the plant 

 matures." 



Harcourt, at the Ontario Agricultural College, concludes 

 that " a much larger amount of digestible matter was 

 obtained by cutting when the plants were about one-third 

 in bloom than by cutting either two weeks earlier or two 

 weeks later." Snyder and Hummel in Minnesota state 

 that " alfalfa for hay should be cut when one-third of the 

 blossoms have appeared because at this stage it will yield 

 the largest amounts of the several nutrients in the most 

 valuable forms." Widtsoe in Utah holds " that to insure 

 a large yield of dry matter and the largest amounts of 

 albuminoids, lucern should be cut not earlier than the 

 period of medium bloom and not much later than the 

 period of first full flower. This in most cases will be two 

 or three weeks after the flower buds begin to appear. It 

 will be a more serious error to cut too early than to 

 cut too late." Headden in Colorado concludes from 

 his investigations of alfalfa " that the best general- 

 purpose hay is obtained by cutting it when it is in full 

 bloom." 



The object for which the hay is cut is also a factor to 

 be considered. For horses it is generally held that alfalfa 

 cut in full bloom is best, as earlier cuttings are too laxative. 

 This conclusion is also reached by the Kansas Experiment 

 Station, as the result of extensive horse feeding experi- 

 ments. Horses, however, frequently eat only the alfalfa 

 stems, leaving much of the leaves in the bottom of the 

 manger. 



Alfalfa straw or hay from ripe alfalfa must be fed 



