50 ALPAtPA 



and of a cooling or laxative tendency has an effedl 

 on the butter fat similar to green pasture. With it the 

 June conditions, which are most favorable to the pro- 

 dudlion of the finest quality and largest quantity, can 

 mor^ nearly be maintained and at less cost th^n with 

 any other single food. When used the problem of the 

 balanced ration, which is such a mystery to many 

 dairymen, is solved. The ordinary cow will eat alfalfa 

 hay and corn, or Kafir-corn chop, in just the proper 

 proportions to make the balanced ration. 



Professor D. H. Otis, of the Kansas Agricultural 

 College, says : " Alfalfa can be used in place of bran 

 for dairy cows, and is the only single feed that will 

 make a balanced ration with corn, or Kafir-corn. 

 While feeding the hay to dairy cows at this station we 

 have produced butter fat at 11.9 cents per pound. 

 When we did not have alfalfa and were obliged to bal- 

 ance up the ration with high.-priced concentrates the 

 butter fat cost us from fifteen to seventeen cents. 



" Green alfalfa makes an excellent feed for soiling 

 cows, or for supplementing short or dry pastures. 

 During the summer of 1893 ten head of the college 

 cows were fed green alfalfa for seventy-four days, con- 

 suming 77,145 pounds. Deducting the cost of grain 

 fed during the same time, and figuring the butter fat 

 at creamery prices, and skim-milk at fifteen cents per 

 one hundred pounds, the green alfalfa brought us $25.26 

 per acre. During the last half of June and the first half 

 of July, 1900, the region in which the college is located 

 was suffering from severe dry weather. During this 

 period the tame grass pastures dried up completely, 

 and the wild grass herbage was short and wiry ; the 

 flies and hot sun were so bad that the cows would not 



