Judging by the amounts of proteids in the three differ¬ 
ent cuttings, the first and second cuttings stand very close 
to each other in value with the difference in favor of the 
first cutting. In the farm samples, leaving out the damaged 
sample the first cutting is materially the best of the three 
1 would here remind the feeder, who prefers the second or 
even the third crop for certain feeding, that the amount of 
proteids present is not the only measure of good hay. Not 
only is the quantity of proteids greater in the first cuttino- 
but the yield is also greater and the hay cut just at the be¬ 
ginning of bloom is richer in this constituent than when cut 
later.. From beginning bloom to half bloom the amount of 
proteids seems to be nearly stationary and the crop is also 
probably at its maximum. There are no figures accessible 
to me on this point, but it is in keeping with my observa- 
tions. If the plant continues to store up organic matter 
after this period is past, I am inclined to think that the loss 
by the dropping of leaves, due to the maturing of the plant 
and the action of the fungus common on our alfalfa, more 
than compensates for the gain. While I am inclined to 
think that the farm samples are exceptional in their quality, 
they confirm the results obtained on the laboratory samples 
and make the first cutting very decidedly richer than the 
second, d he development of the plants is not given, but 
as the date of cutting was May 28th and it was intended to 
cut the field four times, it was probably just before bloom, 
in which case the apparent excessive richness in proteids is 
largely and probably wholly accounted for. If the very 
early cutting be rejected from my series, and I think this 
should be done for no one would cut the crop so immature, 
it changes the results in favor of the second cuttincr 
to * 
CRUDE FIBER. 
It has been stated by others that this portion of the 
plant increases materially with age. Our results indicate 
the same, but not to the extent claimed in a former bulle¬ 
tin issued by my predecessor, wherein he showed it to in¬ 
crease from 12.88 per cent, in hay, cut when the plant was 
beginning to buck to 20.23 per cent, in hay made from al¬ 
falfa with fully ripened seed. (Bulletin No. 8, of this Sta¬ 
tion, page 11, analyses Nos. 1 and 4.) I he method of de¬ 
termination is given as that adopted by the Association of 
Official Agricultural Chemists, convention of 1888. What¬ 
ever influence of the greater or less succulency of the plant 
may have upon the amount of crude fiber in the dry matter, 
it cannot in this case be appealed to to account for the low 
percentage of fiber, for the percentage of dry matter in the 
