Digestion Experiments With Wethers. 37 



DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS IN 100 POUNDS OF AIR- 

 DRIED MATERIAL. 



That the values of the hays taken up in this bulletin may 

 be more easily compared, the following table is given showing 

 the amount in pounds of each constituent which is digested 

 from one hundred pounds of air-dried material also the nu- 

 tritive ratio : 



DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS IN 100 LBS. OF AIR DRIED MATERIAL. 



Nitrogen- 

 Dry Ether Crude Crude free Nutritive 

 matter extract fiber protein extract ratio 



Alfalfa, first cutting, 1905.... 56.02 0.68 13.21 12.56 25.22 1:3.19 



Alfalfa, second cutting, 1905.. 61.53 0.90 13.72 12.37 29.64 1:3.68 



" 1904-05.60.35 0.70 14.24 12.01 28.22 1: 3.6S 



Western Wheat Grass, 1904.. 60.89 1.09 20.69 3.81 33.32 1:14.86 



Native hay, 1904 58.73 1.33 18.82 4.58 30.59 1:11.48 



Digestion experiments, aside from being valuable from a 

 scientific standpoint, should be of value to stock feeders, as it 

 enables them to more economically and scientifically make up 

 feeding rations. We have taken up the work with alfalfa. A 

 number of such experiments have been carried on at other sta- 

 tions and we may note the similarity and differences between 

 alfalfa grown at low altitude under humid conditions and at 

 high altitudes under arid conditions such as we have in Wyo- 

 ming. We note that Wyoming alfalfa hay gives a narrower 

 nutritive ratio than that found by other experimenters. Since 

 alfalfa is a staple crop in Wyoming, the nitrogenous constitu- 

 ents in stock foods may be obtained cheaply. We have also 

 taken up the study of two hays peculiar to the Rocky Mountain 

 states which gives us new data of value. 



