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Show -- MVVWl 4fri i By Juslin Scharff Although their exact IQ (intelligence quotient), may not be known, cows certainly are not without their share of wisdom. At times. In fact, they're pretty smart. For hundreds of years cows have shown a remarkable ability for detecting quality traits in alfalfa. Only have recently, however, dairymen and alfalfa growers shown much interest In what the cows have known all along. For most people, even to 3i f. -j iKr 4 day, a bale of hay is just a bale of hay. Once the alfalfa is cubed or baled few of us can tell whether it was cut at the bud stage or In full one variety have more quality traits than another? Can Improper harvesting impair quality? The answers to these and related questions, bloom. But the cows know the difference and the amount of milk they produce depends largely on the quality oftheir feed. Thus, the value of an alfalfa Geld should be determined not by the numbsr of bales harvested but by what those bales will produce in terms of energy and pounds now known. - The most Important dual- are ity factor Is the maturity of the plant when harvested. The best quality hay Is that cut in the prebud or early bud stage the plants have the highest proportion of leaves. With maturity the stems become larger, the lower leaves tend to drop off and the total amount of leaves decreases, resulting in less protein and more fiber. This Is especially noticeable when th alfalfa Is cut past toe bloom stage. Leanness Is another significant quality trait since 70 percent of the total digestible protein of an alfalfa plant Is In tie leaves. A 100 pound bale of alfalfa leaves, for example, contains approximately 17 pounds of digestible protein compared to only 5.1 pounds of digestible protein for an equal amount of alfalfa stems. Thus, tender, leafy alfalfa Is more than nutritious course, of milk. Just what are quality traits In alfalfa? Can you see them? Can you smell them? Does one-ten- p Many people have large quantities of stored foods such as green rice, beans and other food supplies. Insects can cause a big loss in there homos, says Harold Lindsay, Utah State University Extension Agent advises homemakers to check stored flour, cereals and similar food items tor insect Infestations before summer arrives. He This includes insect pests such as the Grain Beetle. Cade lie, Indian Flour Moth, Confused Flour Beetle and any of the ed der-mes- tid beetles. If these pests are allowed to feed on stored food products, they will soon destroy them and move on to other nearby food products. Therefore, it Is wise to discard small packages of ed, food products that are fested with ary of these pests and store the remaining foods In a cool, dry place for the summer, he said. To keep food storage rooms free from insects, you can treat the shelves and other areas of the storage rooms with household formIn- ulations ofpyrethnim, e alfalfa roughage and therefore of higher qualstraw-lik- ity. Color is another quality trait that can be observed visually. Eright green leaves Indicate proper curing, the presence of nutrients and that the hay was cut at an ear.ly stage. Deep coloring is also an Indicator of good aroma, freedom from mold and relatively high carotene content Palatability has no physical dimensions. You cant see it You cant feel it But the cows apparently can sniff It Animal nutritionists believe that palatability mala-thi- on or methoxychlor. But be sure to avoid direct contamination of food products with these chemicals. Good to keep the housekeeping place clean also will often minimize Insect Infestations of food products, Lindsay explained. These foods are too expensive to let the insects have them. Additional Information on whets the appetite protecting stored good products from insect infestations may be obtained from the local county extension office. EK Burns Nursery Now carry bulk garden seed Our greenhouse is bulging with beautiful flowers and bedding plants. Come in and get the Spring Fever Browsing Is FREE Burns Nursery 2104 No. 250 W. Sunset ; rr t rr ; and Vii: nnffiffi.S iiifmuscA .5- - sjtoVifWiiwai.AsiteMw.r S U Mkyb UM WtJ it tii nutrient most closely related to miik production and therefore the energy content of alfalfa hay is of greatest importance to dairymen. High energy alfalfa hay is also high in protein content. ham Young University farm at Provo. WL-3- 06 is characterized by extreme leafiness and an abundance of dark green leaves all the way down the fine stems. The varietys resistance to bacterial wilt, pea aphid and spotted alfalfa aphid contributes to its reputation as a high quality alfalfa. In the final analysis, however, what determines quality m?re than anything else is what occurs just before, during and immediately after harvesting. Unfortunately, quality suffers from poor haymaking practices even if the alfalfa has been cut at toe optimum stage. Dust, mold, objectionable odor, poor color and foreign matter are all symptons of There is a tremendous difference in the quality traits exhibited by spearate alfalfa varieties. What is especially interesting is that these traits can be built into a new variety by its breeder. There is, of course, no guarantee that a new experimental will turn out as planned. However, both yield and quality traits can be proven in test plots such as those conducted in Utah by Germains, Inc., a 100 year old western seed firm. improper harvesting. Leaf shatter often results from excess handling of the hay when dry. Palatability suffers fromdustaccumulation. Exposure to rain or above average moisture causes leaching of the nutrients and baling under these conditions can lead to mold, discolor- Unless quality traits are bred Into new varieties, says Ray Davis, Germains Utah representative, dont expect them to show up at harvest time." variety that was bred growing conditions . possesses a wide .unge of built-L- n quality tra6. ft is now its is being grown commercially in the state's major production One - ation and spoilage. The Increasing recognition of the importance of quality traits In alfalfa is bound to benefit both buyer and seller. The alfalfa grower will receive a premium for producing a better crop and the dairyman will know exactly what hes getting for his money. Thus, in tlie near future a bale of hay may no longer be just a bale of hay. fts true value will be determined not only by what It weighs but by what its really worth In terms of energy, weight gain and milk WL-30- areas. Top quality and yields of up to eight tons per acre with WL-3have been reported by such well known farmers as Grant Le Fevre, Elsinore; Nell Harper, Cor-inrt- e; Junior B. Green, Fast Layton; Murry Peterson, Richfield; Tim Anderson, Sigurd, Ralph Meikle, Smith-fiel- d; Tery Stephenson, Arden Spenser, Holden; 06 American Fork; Jones Bros. Dairy. Morgan and the Brig en- Increased concourages sumption. One thing is certain... if alfalfa lacks palatability, as every dairyman knows, the cows will walk away from it Texture and pliability of toe leaves also relate to quality. Texture In alfalfa is often a confusing term. Basically, it describes the The leaf to stem ratio. greater toe numfcerof leaves and the fewer and finer toe stems the higher the quality. Fllability describes how well toe leaves and stems withstand mechanical harvesting. Excessive brittleness of either stems or leaves reduces quality. Some quality traits can be determined only by chemical analysis. These include: digestible protein (DFX total digestible nutrient (TDN) consisting of protein, difiber, fats, nitrogestible extracts (suggen-free ars, starches and soluble cellulose) and estimated net energy (ENEL Cattle require five major energy, types of nutrients protein, minerals, vitamins and water. Energy is toe -- ft A John Deers Rotary Tilior really digs gardening. 5 HP ter at $255.95 fV- -' V V fi. , When it comes to gardening, a John Deere Rotary Tiller can dig you out from under a tot of g work. Choose from two models, one 3Yj-hEach has a wide the other range of tilling widttis. See them at our store hard-chargin- scon. Roy Mower Ph. 325-312- 5 & Cycle |