286 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



ALFALFA THE WONDERFUL. 



By Hon. F. D. Coburn, Former Secretary Kansas Department of Agri- 

 culture. — (From The DeLaval Separator Co.'s Dairy Hand Book. 



Most of the supposed drawbacks of alfalfa growing are in 

 a large measure imaginary. This is in spite of the lack of lime 

 in some soils, or excessive rains in haying time; in spite of se- 

 vere winter temperature in the North and unpromising soil con- 

 ditions somewhere else, and in the face of Grandpa's justifiably 

 high opinion of clover. Yet, no inference should be drawn from 

 such a statement that alfalfa flourishes or survives alike in all 

 places. 



The Wisconsin Experiment Station says an acre of alfalfa 

 will yield three times as much protein as an acre of clover, nine 

 times as much as an acre of timothy, and twelve times as much 

 as an acre of broom grass. A recent experiment at the Illinois 

 station showed that for dairy cows a ration containing lo pounds 

 of alfalfa produced 17% more milk than the same ration with 

 timothy used in lieu of alfalfa. Also that ''alfalfa was worth 

 $10.86 more a ton than timothy, and when timothy is worth $10 

 a ton an acre of alfalfa is worth $68.44 more than an acre of 

 timothy under the conditions which existed in this experiment 

 and when milk is sold at $1.30 a 100 pounds." 



While unequalled as a hay or forage for all classes of farm 

 animals, including fowls, to no farmer is alfalfa more essential 

 than to the dairyman. Wheat bran, so long his reliance as the 

 one best adjunct to other feeds in milk-making, has, on account 

 of its high price, and poor quality due to m.^d 'n, methods of 

 milling, made some less expensive substitute a necessity, and such 

 a substitute is afforded by alfalfa, which as hay or ensilage, 

 more nearly approaches bran than any other feed available. 



Corn silage and alfalfa make in themselves practically a 

 complete balanced ration for dairy cows. Alfalfa hay fed to 



