LUCERNE MEAL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 687, 18 July 1914, Page 2

LUCERNE MEAL.

The grinding of lucerne hay in'o meal .is an 'industry that has become,.-.; established in • some ,6f the agricultural districts of California. At first stock-owners were; do .;btful as' to the advantage of meal as compared with the hay. According to "Hoard's Dairyman," the new industry has come to stay, antjj is now en a safe commercial basis. Not only that, but the demand for lucerne meal has stimulated the growing of lucerne—that is, of increasing til? acreage. Land owners are now growing lucerne for the sole purpose, of supplying the raw material to the lucerne meal mills. Lar-gc mills have already teen established at: Fresno, Stockton, Woodland, aad Tehama. It is well known that lucerne ha 7 is the most susceptible to waste in the handling and feed'lng of the whole list of fodder crops. The leaves arc very tender, end break nnd fall oS if the hay be not very carefully handled whm stacking. Evm after tho lucerne hay is baled, the waste does not cease, as in trucking, intrucking, and hauling to the retailers' stores, there is always a dribbla of 1 saves from the four sides and two ends of the bale. Furthermore,, in the feeding of lucerne hay to stock there is always a residuum of stalks, etc., left, no matter what Ir.nd ofi animal you are feeding. The eating of the soft part of the hay spoils an animal's appetite for the coarse stalks, and these are wasted, notwithstanding, the fact that they contain much 1 , nutritious matter. The grinding of ths hay and its package in sacks prevents all the wastes referred to, th.2 only possibility of waste being in the hauling bfl the hay from the field to the grinding mill. It is. predicted that the lucerne crop will soon be put en the market exclusively in the shape of meal. Converted into meal, it can be much more economically and conveniently marketed. Then the grinding of the lucerne hay is described as being a very simple and inexpensive process, consequently to the buyer there is not much- between the cost of lucerne meal and lucerne hay. Wholesale, in California, lucerne hay is worth ,about £3/2/6 per ton, and lucerne' meal £3/10/- per ton. Retail, a bale of lucerne hay weighing 200 lbs. sells for 7/6, and a eack of lucerne meal containing 10,0 lbs. for 4/7. At per 100 lbs. the meal, therefore, only costs lOd. more than the hay. Dealers who handle the meal report that it is becoming more popular every day, especially among •■-, dairymen. It moistens and mixes well with bran. It also makes excellent feed for horses ; added to oaten hay chaff, it would prove an ideal ration.