176 CLOVERS 



At the New Jersey Experiment Station, as stated in 

 Bulletin No. 148, one acre of alfalfa produced 

 36,540 pounds of green food; of corn, 24,000; of 

 red clover, 14,000; of crimson clover, 14,000; of 

 millet, 16,000; of cow peas, 16,000; and of oats 

 and peas, 14,000 pounds. But where only two, or 

 even three, cuttings can be obtained per year, some 

 crops may produce larger yields than alfalfa. In 

 the distinctive alfalfa belt in the West, no forage 

 crop can be grown that will compare with it in the 

 yields obtained. The protein in alfalfa is also rela- 

 tively high. At the station quoted above it was 

 found one ton of alfalfa contained 265 pounds of 

 protein ; hence, its high relative value as a food ; red 

 clover, 246 pounds ; timothy, i r8 pounds ; and wheat 

 bran, 118 pounds. At the Delaware Experiment 

 Station, in Bulletin No. 55, it is stated that maxi- 

 mum crops of cow peas and of crimson clover gave 

 720 pounds of protein, while a maximum crop of 

 alfalfa gave 1230 pounds. 



Where alfalfa is irrigated, it is usual to apply 

 irrigating waters just after each cutting of the crop. 

 It is a matter of some importance that the water 

 shall be applied at once as soon as the previous crop 

 has been harvested, otherwise time will be lost in 

 growing the next crop. There are instances where 

 it is necessary to apply water before the first crop 

 is grown, but usually the moisture which falls in 

 the winter and spring will suffice to produce the 

 first crop of the season. Some irrigators apply 

 water some time previous to harvesting the crop, 

 but not so late as to leave the ground in a soft con- 



