SERICEA AND OTHER PERENNIAL LESPEDEZAS 



23 



In another trial on another field in 1932 the cutting of June 4 

 yielded 2,032 pounds per acre; June 11, 2,674; June 20, 2,993; 

 and June 25, 4,lo3 pounds per acre. Naturally the early cutting 

 produced the best hay but the lowest yields. Smce the second 

 cuttmg from the area cut June 4 was much larger than from the 

 other areas, the total yield from the area first cut June 4 was 

 greater than trom that first cut June 11 and nearly as great as 

 that from the area first cut June 20. The earliest cuttmg also 

 produced more protein per acre than either the June 11 or June 20 

 cuttings. A good stand on medium land may be expected to yield 

 from % to IV2 tons of good hay in each of two cuttings, or a 

 crop of IV2 to 5 tons of hay and a crop of seed. 



The leanness of sericea may be gathered from table 3, where 

 it is shown that in material cut at various dates the percentages 

 of leaves varied from 43 to 66 percent, the earlier cut hay being 

 the more leafy. Smce only 45 percent leafiness is required for 

 No. 1 alfalfa hay, it appears that a good grade of sericea hay 

 should be more leafy than alfalfa (fig. 9). 



B 



Figure 9. — Alfalfa (A) is less leafy than sericea (B) . 



Feeding Trials 



Few feeding trials have been made, and some of these are un- 

 satisfactory either because there is no information on the quality 

 of the hay fed or because it is known that poor sericea hay was 

 compared with good alfalfa hay. The results of such triads as 

 have been made show a trend and afford some guide to the prob- 



