68 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



only rich in lime and phosphorus for our livestock, but we 

 must also try to provide them v^ith this anti-rickitic factor, 

 sunlight shining- direct on the body and ultra-violet light 

 are both good anti-rickitic light, have the same functions. 



Green growing plants do not contain very large 

 amounts of this vitamine. However, when green alfalfa is 

 cut and is cured out in the sunlight, in the curing process 

 the vitamine D content is increased materially. Just why 

 we do not know, but it is a fact apparently. Earlier from 

 the results of certain experiments it was thought that per- 

 haps the best way of curing alfalfa or other legume hay 

 so as to preserve and obtain all the vitamine it contained, 

 was to cut it and cure it, using a hay cap as soon as pos- 

 sible. That has been tested out in our institution and hay 

 which has been cured in the dark, while showing that the 

 fine green color is preserved, that hay is not rich in the 

 anti-rickitic vitamine but very poor in it, because it was 

 cured in the absence of sunlight. You have got to steer 

 between two difficulties; if hay is allowed to be cut and 

 dried in the rain and sun, the hay will become wet, its 

 nutriments, will be washed out and it will not be of so high 

 a nutritive value though it may be rich in this anti-rickitic 

 vitamine. The vitamine A content will be largely de- 

 stroyed. You can count on a good green color, being rich 

 in vitamine A always. On the other hand vitamine D 

 seems to be developed by the action of sunlight, so as we 

 see the situation at the present time the best way of curing 

 legume hay is the way that the shortage of labor has driven 

 the American farmer to cure it: try to cut it in good 

 weather, then by means of the side delivery rake turn it 

 over, expose it to the drying breeze and sunlight till it is 

 dry enough to load by means of a hay loader, and get into 

 the barn. 



Present investigations seem to show that that will not 

 only preserve the nutritive value to the best possible extent 

 but will also provide a content of vitamines A and B. Hay 

 dried in the very best way it can be done is not very rich 

 in vitamine D. The same is true of butter fat. Butter fat 

 is very rich in vitamine A, it has a fair content of vitamine 



