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Lucerne as a Fodder Crop. 



Value of Lucerne as a Fodder Crop. 

 A bulletin recently issued by the Colorado Experiment 

 Station gives the result of some investigations into the 

 growth, composition, structure, and fertilising value of 

 alfalfa or lucerne. From the experiments carried out at 

 the station and elsewhere, the author of the bulletin believes 

 that lucerne will meet the requirements of a large variety 

 of soils and climates, and he regards it as an excellent 

 forage crop of great adaptability. The most trying and 

 fatal conditions to the growth of this plant are a cold, wet 

 winter and poorly-drained or water-logged soils. It has 

 long been observed that stagnant water has a very injurious 

 effect upon it, by destroying its roots, and the effect of stag- 

 nant water where alkali is present is said to be especially 

 marked. 



As showing the difference in composition between the 

 stems and the leaves of lucerne, reference may be made to 

 some analyses of the leaves at different stages of growth, 

 from the time the plant begins blooming until after blooming. 

 The air-dry stems contained about 6*35 per cent, of protein 

 and about 28 per cent, of carbo-hydrates, while the air-dry 

 leaves, up to the time the plant ceased blooming, contained 

 from 22 to 25^ per cent, of protein and from 40 to 45 per 

 cent, of nitrogen free extract. The leaves are also much 

 richer in fat than the stems ; the stems contained four or five 

 times as much crude fibre as the leaves. The richness of the 

 leaves has an important bearing on losses in making alfalfa 

 into hay, as the leaves, being brittle, are readily broken off 

 in handling, and are, to some extent, left on the field. In 

 fact, the author of the bulletin believes it safe to assume that 

 one ton of leaves, broken stems, etc., is lost in the making of 

 every five tons of hay, and that there is thus returned to the 

 soil annually the equivalents of 2579 lbs. of calcium phos- 

 phate, 77*73 lbs. of potassium chloride, and 440 lbs. of nitrate 

 of soda. In addition to this, the principal fertilising ingre- 

 dients in the stubble and roots have a considerable value per 

 acre. 



With respect to the question of the relative feeding value- 

 of successive cuttings of lucerne, the average percentages of 



