108 A STUDY OF FARM ANIMALS 



clover. For hay, red clover should be cut when the blossoms 

 are in full development, at which time it contains the most 

 nutriment. Clover should be cured carefully and protected 

 from the wet as much as possible after cutting. When clover 

 hay is well cured and reasonably free from dust, it may be 

 fed to horses with advantage. 



Alfalfa is one of the most popular plants in America. In 

 the irrigated sections of the West it has long been a leading 

 crop. In recent years, its cultivation has been greatly 

 extended, so that now it is grown with success over much of 

 the United States, north and south, and also in parts of 

 Canada. From two to five crops a year may be harvested. 



Figure 24. — A field of alfalfa in Ohio. Piiotograpli by the author. 



At the New Jersey Experiment Station, 5 cuttings yielded 

 263^^ tons of green forage, equivalent to almost 6 tons of dry 

 matter per acre. Alfalfa is a plant that is rich in protein, 

 containing from 10 to 11 per cent in digestible form, and 

 the dried hay is often compared with wheat bran in composi- 

 tion and feeding value. The fact is, that alfalfa is so close 

 to bran in protein and carbohydrate content that in some 

 sections of the West it is ground and fed in a meal-like form. 

 Large quantities of special feed stuffs are made of this alfalfa 

 meal, and are sold in nearly all parts of the country. 



Alfalfa makes fine pasturage, especially for sheep and 



