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Show More High-Grade Alfalfa Wanted Desirable Type of Legume Forage Is Always in Demand De-mand by Dairymen. (Prepared by th United Statca Department oC Agriculture.) Oig-grade alfalfa hay could be profitably produced and marketed in much greater quantities than at present, pres-ent, nccording to the United States Department of Agriculture. Dealers In all big alfalfa-hay-dlstrlbuting markets mar-kets annually receive thousands of orders or-ders from dairymen for high-grade alfalfa al-falfa hay which they cannot fill because be-cause on Insufficient quantity of such hay Is produced. Many dairymen who do not now utilize much alfalfa bay would become buyers if supplies of high-grade hay were available at all times, says the department-Study department-Study Market Demands. Farmers who grow alfalfa for a cash crop are urged to study market demands and then make their production produc-tion and loading practices conform to the market requirements. Methods of producing, baling, and loading high-grade high-grade alfalfa hay for market are discussed dis-cussed in Farmers' Bulletin 1539-F, entitled "Iligh-Grade Alfalfa Day," Just Issued by the department. Among the causes for low-grade alfalfa al-falfa listed and discussed In the bulletin bul-letin are thin stands containing weeds and grasses, foreign material such. as decayed raklugs from previous cuttings, cut-tings, weather damage, over-ripeness at time of cutting, overdrylng, baling and stacking undercured hay, baling during weather conditions which cause loss of leaves and causes stemmy-ap-pearlng bales. Characteristics of high-grade alfalfa hay, on the other hand, are purity, a high percentage of leaves, clinging foliage, green color, and pliable stems. Leafy alfalfa hay having one or more of these desirable characters Is the type of legume forage that Is always In demand with the dairy-cattle feeders feed-ers because of Its well-recognized effect ef-fect on milk flow. The foundation of the business of producing alfalfa hay for market Is a good, pure, stand. Seed of varieties known to have local adaptation, free from foul weeds, and sown In sufficient suffi-cient quantity to produce a thick stand Is of greatest Importance. Classifying Alfalfa. In the official United States hay standards, alfalfa hay Is classifled according ac-cording to its purity. The class named "Alfalfa" cannot contain over 5 per cent of grasses nor over 10 per cent of othe legumes. If the grass content con-tent Is over 5 per cent but not over 20 per cent the class is designated as "Alfalfa Light Grass Mixed." The grading factors In the United States standards are leaflness, color, and foreign material, anyone of which may lower the grade of a lot of hay. The most Important Item of all In loading Is to load cars with hay of uniform class and grade. Uniform loads unvariably sell for better prices than nonuniform loads, and sometimes the difference In price Is substantial. Nonuniform loads often sell on the basis of tha lowest grade found In the car lot, A copy of the bulletin may be obtained ob-tained by writing to the United States Department of -Agriculture, Washington, Washing-ton, D. C. |