324 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 
cut alfalfa they eat the stems as well as the leaves, 
animals rarely bloat on cut alfalfa. I have prac- 
ticed feeding it to steers and ewes and have never 
seen a case where it gave trouble. Certainly no ani- 
mal eating alfalfa either green or dry should ever be 
allowed to get very hungry before getting its feed. 
Further, alfalfa is so rich a feed that no other 
soiling crop that can be mentioned is as good, and 
it is so very easily grown. One can grow as much 
as 25 tons per acre of green alfalfa on any good, 
deep soil, and this forage is richer in elements going 
to make growth and muscle and milk than almost 
any that may be named. 
Tests of Soiling—The Nebraska Station reports 
that in an experiment conducted there it required 
.71 of an acre to keep a cow for a given time by 
soiling, while by pasturing it required 3.63 acres. 
In New Jersey Prof. Voorhees said that the first 
cutting of alfalfa yielded nine tons per acre, the 
second 7.73 tons, the third 4.89, fourth 2.75 and fifth 
2.23, or a total vield of 26.60 tons of green forage. 
About 30 to 50 lbs. per day of this green forage will 
be consumed by a cow. At the maximum rate an 
acre of alfalfa would feed 36 cows one day, first cut- 
ting, and to feed that number of cows safely through 
the season from the middle of May until late October 
would take about 40 acres only of alfalfa. Allowing 
something to give good margin, one can feed splen- 
didly 36 cows on 50 acres of alfalfa and have chance 
to make quite a little hay as well from the field. 
