EFFECT OF FEEDING GREEN ALFALFA AND GREEN CORN. 6 
GREEN ALFALFA. 
The green alfalfa was practically free from weeds and other foreign 
growth. Feeding was begun 15 days before the time the alfalfa 
was ready to cut for hay and continued for 23 days. Eleven days 
later the investigation was continued with the second cutting from 
the same field. At this time the alfalfa w T as beginning to bloom, 
and as approximately the same amount was fed each day as during 
the first cutting, the alfalfa remained practically at the same stage 
of maturity until the completion of the investigation. 
METHOD OF FEEDIMi. 
The cows were divided into groups of two each. The cows in 
one group received only the basic hay and grain ration and were 
known as checks. The other groups received, in addition to the 
hay and grain ration, the following amounts of green alfalfa twice 
daily: 
One group, 15 pounds one hour before milking. 
One group, 30 pounds one hour before milking. 
One group, 15 pounds immediately after milking. 
One group, 30 pounds immediately after milking. 
The cows were fed these rations for five days, then for two days no 
green alfalfa was fed, after which the cows in the various groups were 
interchanged in order to equalize any abnormal results due to the 
milk of any individual animal, and the feeding of green alfalfa 
was resumed. 
MILK SAMPLES. 
Samples from the milk of individual cows were taken at the time 
of milking, given a key number, and cooled but not aerated. The 
samples were then judged for flavor and odor by experienced milk 
judges without knowledge of the key. The following classification 
was used, in which "on" signifies those flavors and odors w^hich 
the judges believed to be due to feed: Normal; very slightly off; 
slightly off; off. When no off flavor or odor was perceptible the 
sample was rated normal; where an off flavor or odor was perceived 
the sample was rated according to the degree which the judge con- 
sidered it to be off. It is doubtful whether the off flavor or odor in 
samples rated very slightly off would be noticed by many people 
other than those accustomed to judge milk and cream, and very likely 
the average consumer would have no serious objection to those 
samples rated as slightly off. An "opinion" denotes the decision 
of one judge in regard to one sample. 
CHECK SAMPLES. 
The check samples were taken from the milk of the check cows, 
which were fed only the basic hay and grain ration. Some off flavors 
and odors were noted in these samples, but they were mostly very 
slight, and undoubtedly were instances of the slight off flavors and 
odors frequently encountered in milk from individual cows. 
Out of a total of 329 opinions obtained on 75 check samples, 90.3 
per cent of the opinions on flavor and 88.7 per cent of those on odor 
were "normal." The greater part of the off flavors and odors, i. e., 
8.2 per cent and 6.7 per cent of the opinions on the flavor and odor, 
