Show cure cur alfalfa in windrow or co cock ek feeding F bedin value increased beca because use more of leaves are arc retained prepared by th the united stated depart ment 0 t of f agriculture there is a popular belief that hint a nl culta and other hay cure more rapidly when handled Lanill ci so as aa to keep the lie leaves in a fresh condition until the terns have lost much ot of their moisture this bellet belief rests on the assumption that so long as tile lie leaves are riot not dry they continue to draw or pump the moisture from the hie stems it Is partly because 0 of this theory that curing in the windrow has been so commonly advocated says the united states department of agriculture retains more leaves it Is generally recognized that h hay ay cured in the windrow or cock does retain more of its leaves thereby jn iu creasing its feeding value so far as can be ascertained however no experiments peri ments have hitherto been conducted to determine whether hether NN or not tile the leace actually aid in removing water from the stems with this in mind some tests were begun in 1924 and nd continued in 1925 1025 by department investigators the results of 0 which are discussed in department bulletin no 1421 ld l D samples of alfalfa were taken and weighed immediately some of them were nero n ero left to cure in the natural condition that la is with the leaves on falle the leaves were ivere picked from others by baud were made at intervals to determine the rapidity with chich the various samples hobt their moisture in every case where the leaves were rem removed from tile the sterns stems the alfalfa d dried out somewhat more rapidly than ft here it was allowed to cure in it itt natural state that is with the leaves on the differ difference ence was not great and just how flow much of this Is due to handling cannot be easily determined it Is perfectly clear from the data that alfalfa in the quantities used in the tests testa eures at least as rapidly with leaves removed as with them attached which Is contrary to the popular bellef belief fallacy of popular theory these extensive tests would seem to indicate the fallacy of tile popular theory concerning the pumping action of the leaves but this need not necessarily change the practice of curan curing g hay in the windrow or cock some other explanation must be made for the beneficial results of the practice however A copy of this bulletin may be sei cured as long as the supply lasts by writing to the te united states department of agriculture washington D DC a |