i. ALFALFA. 
A —LOSSES IN CUTTING AND CURING. 
It has long been known that there was some loss in 
making alfalfa hay. Part of this loss is chemical, arising 
from the fermentation of the hay when exposed to rains 
during the curing process. The rest of the loss is mechani¬ 
cal and consists of the breaking off of the leaves and smaller 
ends of the branches when the alfalfa is hauled after it 
becomes dry. To overcome the latter loss, so far as possible, 
it is customary to rake the alfalfa while it is yet far from 
dry, and, particularly, early in the morning while the dew 
still makes it damp and pliable. It is also cocked while still 
quite moist, and allovyed to dry out slowly. Both these 
methods, while saving the mechanical losses, tend toward 
the increasing of the chemical losses through fermentation. 
To ascertain the exact amount of these losses several 
experiments have been made in different years. 
In the first set of tests, the field was divided into several 
long narrow strips. The whole field was cut at the same 
time, then every other strip was gathered up at once, 
weighed and three samples taken. The alternate plots were 
made into hay according to our usual methods. When 
fully cured this hay was brought to the barn, weighed and 
four samples taken. The weight of the first multiplied by 
the average composition of the samples gives the value of 
the alfalfa when cut; the weight of the hay when cured, 
multiplied by its average composition gives its value after 
curing. The supposition was made that the alfalfa left on 
the ground weighed the same and had the same composition 
as that gathered up. Since the number of plots was never 
less than ten and the size was quite large, it is probable that 
the error, if any, was quite small. 
Three tests were made in this manner, and they illus¬ 
trate the different conditions under which a’falfa hay is 
cured. 
The first cutting was made May 28 and owing to several 
rains and considerable cloudy weather, it was not until June 
12 that the hay was ready to go into the barn. This hay 
