ALFALFA IN BEEF-MAKING 1 39 



At this station steers made a most rapid gain when fed 

 upon early cut alfalfa hay, either with or without an 

 accompanying ration of grain. "By early cut hay was 

 meant hay cut just before bloom. The gain upon this 

 early cut alfalfa hay was one-third more than that upon 

 hay cut when in full bloom or later." 



The Utah station also reports a cattle feeding test 

 (Bui. No. 6i) in which lOO pounds of gain from feeding 

 alfalfa hay cost $3.76; from timothy, $4.71, and from 

 corn fodder, $6.21. 



At the Nebraska station Prof. Howard R. Smith (Buls. 

 85 and 90) fed 50 yearling and 50 two-year-old grade 

 steers in lots of ten for six months, each lot of each fifty 

 having rations different from the others, and the table 

 herewith shows the average cost per pound of gain made 

 by each steer of each lot of yearlings : 



Lot fed com and prairie hay 8.27 cents 



" " corn 90 per cent, oil meal 10 per cent, and prairie hay.. .6.82 



" " corn 90 per cent, oil meal 10 per cent, and corn stover. ..6.09 " 



" " corn 90 per cent, oil meal 10 per cent, and sorghum hay.7.00 " 



'• " corn and alfalfa hay 6.04 " 



Below is shown the cost under similar conditions with 

 the two-year-olds, (the cost of the corn and oil meal fed 

 them having been slightly greater than that fed the year- 

 lings) : 



Lot fed com and prairie hay 8.23 cents 



" " corn iK) per cent, oil meal 10 per cent, and prairie hay ....8.27 " 

 " " corn 90 per cent, oil meal 10 per cent, and corn stover ...6.49 " 

 " " coi-n 90 per cent, oil meal 10 per cent, and sorghum hay.. 7. 87 " 

 " " corn and alfalfa hay 6.89 " 



Among the deductions from these experiments. Profes- 

 sor Smith records the following, bearing upon the use of 

 alfalfa: 



