SERICEA AND OTHER PERENNIAL LESPEDEZAS 27 



and that the quantity increases rapidly. Between May 29 and 

 June 28 the tannin content of the leaves double while there was 

 no change in the amount in the stem. Changes in tanmn content 

 over the entire growing season were noted at Statesville, N. C, 

 by Stitt and Clarke (33) . In this experiment tannin in the leaves 

 of sericea increased until June 30, then gradually declined. The 

 first and last samples collected contained less than half as much 

 tannin as the midseason ones. 



A comparison of the data in tables 3 and 7 brings out the fact 

 that as the sericea becomes older the protein content declines 

 while the tannin content is on the increase. Further studies of the 

 tannin-protein relationship were made by Stitt and Hyland (34) 

 of samples of sericea collected from Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, 

 New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. These 

 studies clearly showed that as the protein content declined, the 

 tannin content increased in the leaves of sericea lespedeza. This 

 fact emphasizes the importance of early cutting. When cut 

 at a height of not over 15 inches, the protein content will be 

 high and the tannin content low. 



The variation in the tannin content of sericea, as affected by 

 soil type, was studied by Stitt, Hyland and McKee (35). They 

 found the tannin content of the leaves to vary significantly with 

 soil type and between cuttings made at different dates of a season 

 on the same soil. The effect of fertilizers on the tannin content 

 has been studied at Experiment, Ga. (8). 



In these studies the tannin content has been lowered pro- 

 gressively by applications of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), 

 nitrogen (N)-P-K, and N-P-K plus limestone. 



Relatively great variation in leaf tannin between plants of 

 sericea was found by Stitt (31). Since the variations in tannin 

 were too great to be attributed to differences in environmental 

 conditions, the possibilities of developing low tannin strains 

 through breeding appear most promising. 



Apparently there is no reason to fear bad effects unless hay cut 

 at too advanced a growth stage is fed in large quantities to high- 

 producing dairy cattle. For these it may be wise to use grass 

 hay as part of the ration or to alternate sericea hay and alfalfa or 

 grass hay so as to reduce the total intake of tannin. Winter grain 

 has been successfully drilled into a field of sericea in late fall, 

 and the resulting growth cut for hay when the grain was in the 

 dough stage. Where grain will make a good growth under such 

 conditions a crop of mixed grain-lespedeza hay of excellent quality 

 can be harvested. Feeding such mixed hay will result in reducing 

 the quantity of tannin consumed. 



No definite information has yet been secured on the question 

 of the possible effect of tannin on the health of animals. It has 

 been thought that an excessive intake of tannin may cause dis- 

 turbances, but nothing is known as to what an excessive intake 

 may be. While theoretically such disturbances may be possible, 

 enough hay has been fed by farmers to show that they do not 

 usually result. The steers fed at Beltsville, Md., did not suffer 

 nor apparently did the steers fed at the Tennessee Experiment 



