1909.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 



159 



Digestibility of Alfalfa. 

 This station has not conducted digestion experiments with 

 alfalfa as so many excellent investigations have been made else- 

 where, especially in Kansas and Utah. The resulting average 

 coefficients follow : — 



It will be seen that bran furnishes noticeably more digestible 

 protein, extract matter and fat than alfalfa ; the latter has a 

 much larger percentage of digestible fiber. Fiber requires more 

 energy for its digestion than the other groups of nutrients. 

 Bran contains over 100 pounds more total digestible organic nu- 

 trients to the ton, and, other things being equal, should be 

 regarded, ton for ton, as a more economical food for milk pro- 

 duction. 



Feeding Experiment with Cows. 



Alfalfa Meal v. Wheat Bran. 



Ohjcd of ilie Experiment. — To compare the effect of alfalfa 

 meal with wheat bran {a) upon the general health and condition 

 of the animal, (&) upon the yield of milk, milk solids and milk 

 fat, and (c) to note the economy of alfalfa as compared with 

 bran as a food for dairy stock. 



Plan. — Six cows, all of which were new milch in the late 

 summer, were divided as evenly as possible into two lots of 

 three each. In the first half of the trial three of the cows re- 

 ceived the alfalfa meal ration for six consecutive weeks (one 



