ALFALFA IN BEEF-MAKING 139 



Of alfalfa hay . . . 7,182 pounds 



Of timothy hay 9>S75 



Of red clover hay, 11,967 



Of shredded corn fodder. .10,083 



u 



At this station steers made a most rapid gain when fed 

 upon early cut alfalfa hay, either with or without an 

 accompanying ration of grain. "By early cut hay was 

 meant hay cut just before bloom. The gain upon this 

 early cut alfalfa hay was one-third more than that upon 

 hay cut when in full bloom or later/' 



At the Nebraska station Prof. Howard R. Smith (Buls. 

 85 and 90) fed 50 yearling and 50 two-year-old grade 

 steers in lots of ten for six months, each lot of each fifty 

 having rations different from the others, and the table 

 herewith shows the average cost per pound of gain made 

 by each steer of each lot of yearlings : 



Lot fed com andprairie hay 8.27 cents 



" " corn 90 %, oil meal 10 %, and prairie hay.. 6.82 " 

 " " com 90 %, oil meal to % and com stover.. 6.09 " 

 " " corn 90 %, oil meal 10 %, and sorghum hay 7. *' 

 " ** corn and alfalfa hay 0.04 '* 



Below is shown the cost under similar conditions with 

 the two-year-olds, (the cost of the corn and oil meal fed 

 them having been slightly greater than that fed the year- 

 lings) : 



Lot fed corn and prairie iiay. , * . . 3.23 cents 



« « com 90 %, oil meal 10 %, and prairie hay. 8.27 " 

 " " com 90 % oil meal 10 %, and corn stover., 6.49 ** 

 '* " corn 90 % oil meal 10 %, and sorghum hay 7.S7 '' 

 « ** corn and alfalfa hay 6.89 " 



Among the deductions from these experiments, Profes- 

 sor Smith records the following, bearing upon the use of 

 alfalfa: 



