ALFALFA—ITS GROWTH, DIGESTIBILITY, ETC. 
13 
Phleum Pratense. 
(Timothy.) 
Ash. 
Fat. 
Albuminoids. 
Crude Fiber. 
Nitrogen, 
Free Extract. 
Head not out. 
....7.94... 
....1.97.... 
...10.97.... 
...29.19.... 
...49.93.... 
Before Bloom. 
....7.64.... 
....2.27.... 
... 7.80.... 
...29.65.... 
...52.64.... 
In Bloom. 
.... 7 05 
....2.18.... 
... 5.52.... 
. .32.26.... 
.52 99 
After Bloom. 
_6.63_ 
....2.55.... 
... 5.57_ 
...31.32.... 
...53.93.... 
Early Seed. 
. 5.95.... 
....3.74.... 
... 4.84.... 
...24.70.... 
...60.77.... 
We can now take up the comparison of alfalfa with 
other grasses. This part of the work is necessarily incom¬ 
plete, as but few comparisons are made. A full compari¬ 
son of alfalfa with other forage plants and food stuffs in¬ 
volves a consideration of two factors—the yield per acre 
and the ease with which each can be cultivated. 
In the first place, alfalfa stands pre-eminent, as, with 
its three and often four cuttings, it is an easy task to aver¬ 
age five or six tons per acre over large areas. Much 
larger yields have been realized in exceptional cases. In 
the second place, alfalfa is an easy plant to cultivate 
when once started, and even in the beginning, is not more 
difficult to start than other small-seeded plants, as red 
clover and the grasses. When a good stand has been se¬ 
cured, with any ordinary care, it does not kill by freezing 
or other hardship, provided irrigated in fall and reason¬ 
ably early in the spring. This being the case, all can see 
what an advantage alfalfa has over other forage plants in 
the arid region. This does not argue for its exclusive cul¬ 
tivation, for other forage plants, as millets, corn, should 
supplement alfalfa, the main support in mixed farming. 
DIGESTIBILITY. 
In connection with the chemical analysis of the alfalfa, 
the following feeding experiment was tried to test its di¬ 
gestibility. 
