Leguminous PlanU for Green Forage and Hay. 



205 



green forage per acre. The alfalfa was cut tlii'ee times, yielding 

 4,600 pounds of hay at the first cutting, 3,350 pounds the second, 

 and 3,250 pounds at the third cutting, or a total of 5.6 tons of hay 

 per acre. The total digestible nutrients of the two crops are pre- 

 sented in the following table: 



Comparative yield of com forage and alfalfa hay — Colorado Station. 



It will be seen that the alfalfa yielded nearly twice as many 

 pounds of dry matter as the com, with the digestible nutrients far 

 in the lead. The protein of the alfalfa was three times that of the 

 corn. 



302. Nutrients in the alfalfa crop. — At the Utah Station, i 

 Wldtsoe made a study of the nutrients of the alfaKa crop, and 

 some of the facts gathered are presented in the following table: 



Nutrients iper acre in three cuttings of alfalfa — Utah Station. 

 First Cutting. 



Condition of growth. 



Pro- 

 tein. 



Nitrogen- 

 free ex- 

 tract. 



Crude 

 fiber. 



Ether 

 extract. 



A^h. 



May 4. 



Height, 6J inches 



June 1. 



Height, 18 inches 



July 7. 



Full flower 



Aug. 10. 



Flowers fallen, leaves dry 

 Aug. 24. 



Still drier. 



' Bui. 48. 



Lbs. 



474 

 697 

 745 

 644 



428 



Lbs. 



607 

 1,247 



2,278 

 2,298 

 1,776 



Lbs. 



168 



618 



2,108 



2,531 



2,544 



Lbs. 



40 

 103 

 118 

 116 



94 



Lbs. 



167 

 369 

 461 

 423 

 311 



