146 THE BUSINESS OF DAIRYING 



bacteria. This may be done by using soil from an 

 old field or by cultures of bacteria prepared espe- 

 cially for the purpose. Alfalfa and other plants be- 

 longing to the legume family are the best for the 

 farmer to grow, as they provide not only a food rich 

 in nitrogen but lay up in the soil large amounts of 

 this expensive fertilizing element for future crops. 

 Alfalfa hay, properly cured, has no superior and is 

 readily eaten by all farm animals. It is not a com- 

 plete ration in itself, but should be fed with corn 

 fodder silage, roots, or other carbonaceous foods. 

 For the reason that it contains large amounts 

 of protein, it is a valuable substitute for such 

 feeds as wheat bran and cottonseed meal. 

 Special care should be taken in making alfalfa 

 hay— it should be cut in the forenoon and, 

 when well wilted, raked into windrows and put into 

 cocks, where it should remain until cured. If the 

 leaves are allowed to become dry and brittle the 

 most nutritious and valuable part of the hay will be 

 lost. Three to six tons should be secured per acre. 

 Experiments with alfalfa hay.* — Four cows were 

 in the test, which included a period of 32 days. The 

 "alfalfa hay ration" consisted of 13 pounds of al- 

 falfa hay and 30 pounds of corn silage. The "feed 

 ration" fed in comparison with this was composed 

 of 30 pounds corn silage, 5 pounds mixed hay, 6 

 pounds wheat bran, and 5 pounds dried brewers' 

 grains. The two rations contained practically the 

 same amount of protein (3.08 and 3.13 pounds, re- 

 spectively). The nutritive ration was estimated at 



*Bull. No. 161, N. J. Exp. Station. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



