Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


as artificially dried hay, and as silage. One single species was
selected for further investigation, based on relative palatability,
growth habits of the plants, relative yields, seed production, re-
sponses to grazing by cattle, and relative freedom from attack
by insects and diseases.
 Cattle were used in brief maintenance trials when grazing
 C. intermedia, and when eating it as hay. Digestion trials were
 conducted with four cows on quite mature C. intermedia hay and
 with four steers on the silage.
 Records were obtained of the consumption of naturally cured
 C. intermedia hay by mules.
 C. intermedia silage was compared with No. 1 green federal
 grade alfalfa hay for milk production when fed to Jersey cows in
 standard double-reversal feeding trials (15). Flavor and odor
 of the milk were observed while the cows had access to this
 silage. In conjunction with the palatability and feeding trials,
 detailed studies were made of the ensilability of crotalarias and
 of the capacity of upright silos for this crop.
 Two species, C. spectabilis and C. retusa, were found to be toxic
 in the course of the investigation. The other species used were
 free from toxic effects upon animals.

 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
 I. PALATABILITY TRIALS
 Palatability of Crotalaria as Green Forage.-Nine species of
 crotalaria were drilled in plots (see Part I). These species in-
 cluded Crotalaria grantiana, C. incana, C. intermedia, C. lanceolata, C.
 maxillaris, C. retusa, C. spectabilis, C. striata, and C. usaramoensis.
 When most of the taller species were from 10 to 20 inches high,
 two dry Jersey cows were placed in the field for 15 days. Water
 was available in the field. At the end of this period these ani-
 mals were withdrawn and the crop given about a one-week rest,
 after which two other cows were placed in the field for 24 days.
 Following a subsequent 25-day rest, one each of the above groups
of cows was returned to the field for a 15-day period. During
these grazing periods observations were made daily to observe
the plant responses, and to estimate the number of lineal feet of
row on which the cows had grazed. Generally, the cows grazed
on the scattered grass or weeds for 1 to 4 days before beginning
to eat crotalaria.