New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-23
TOPICS FOR FARMERS.
PAPERS READ IN MONTREAL.

PORE THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF AG-
RIcULrUgE -THE MAINTENANCE RATION AND
OTHER SUBJECTS DISCUSSED.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIDUSEl
MONTREAL. Aug. 22.-At a business meeting last
evening the Association for the Promotion of Ag-
ricuture elected as members Major Alyord, OF
| houghton Farm Dr. Dabney, director Of the North
Carolina Experiment Station; Professor &. '.
Riley. of Washington, and DR.. Ormsby of the storis
Agricultural School The association now numbers
thirtyeight, the limit being forty. The papers to-
day were Of the same surprisingly good quality as
the earlier ones. and attracting much attention
among men of science. Owing 10 the short time
allotted to these meetings only part
of the essays were read. Professor
l.. b. Arnold, of Rochester, Y. Y, read paper
on the origin Of butter fats in which. after point
ing out the sources of and proper division Of these
fats, he referred to the prevailing opinion
that the non-volaiile fats contained III the
food could not be digested and passed
directly into the circulation because their melting
point was above blood heat. Professor Arnold
showed by the result of experiments that they can
be so changed by gastric influence that their melting
point is reduced that they pass directly into
the circulation, all tending TO show that the COW
was more Of a machine than laboratory and hence
the importance of proper selection of her food
fessor G. c. Caldwell held that by the German
tables Of the composition and
trtve value of folders 1t requires OS
pounds of digestible aJumlnoids and ). % pounds
of digestiblc neutrality-suspicious. matters for a main
teuance ration. Professor }. W. Sanborn has found
that an Increase Of weight can be obtained on a
much poorer ration than this. Experiments at
! Cornell University show that a gain of nearly
2.25 ponds day per 1000 pounds live
weight can be made on ration but
little better than the German maintenance ration.
Such results seem to indicate either that the
German estimate Is based on insufficient data, or
else that the producing power Of fodder IS
for some reason greater in this country with our
stock than in theirs. On the other hand If the
German estimates Tor production ration are taken,
the results are more nearly in accordance
with what may be expected. Feeding ex-
prriments at Cornell on a ration like that
given forfatenng cattle yielded increase Of over
i pounds n day land l 600 pounds 1--we weight.
Like favorable results obtained by Professor
Coax, OF New-Jersey, with the German ration
for milk. Therefore, while we may yet gain
much advantage by following the German estimates
OF ration for production, further experimentation
on the feeding value of our own fodder stu1s under
the conditions that prevail in this country are
much to be desired.
Professor W. W. Tracy. or Detroit, read
paper on seed testing and the influence Of
light and air on the termination of seeds,
III which be showed by the record OF the tests Of
3 COO samples of garden vegetables that there IS
"a marked difference In tho vitality Of different
varieties Of the same species, and that this low
vitality generally accompanies wide departure from
the normal type OF the species. He also re-
ported an extensive series OF comparisons
of the different methods of testing. showing
that more uniform results were obtained By
planting IN prepared soil than by the USE Of the
German test plates. A second set showed that
while light was of little Importance in the case Of
seeds If strong vitality 10 was essential 10 the best
results when the seeds were weak = third set
showed that he degree of pcrmiablry to air of the
soil used had a marked effect upon the termination
Of seeds.
Professor j. b. Sanderson. Professor of Agri-
culture in the University Of Missouri. stated the
| amount of the different food elements claimed by
the Germans as a maintenance ration, and then
showed by the result of experiments that the
amounts were too high also that, contrary to the
German teaching the dill rent combinations or
forms in which the food was used made a marked
difference in the amount necessary. He also pre-
.ented some experiments showing that there was
NOT only marked difference in the amount of water
drank. but ln the way tns was disposed Of, as t.
suit of varying conditions Of food and tcmpcra-
ture.
Professor f. II. Gulley of the Agricultural College
OF Mississippi, presented paper on tin" food value
of cotton seed m which he first pointed our the
large amount of this material annually wasted in
the south and lis high value Tor food and manurill
purposes. as shown By analysis and
gave the results Of experiments tried
40 the college farn under conditions
which every planter might command,
and which showed that its practical value was
quite equal 10 IFS theoretical, and that the South
possessed M this hitherto wasted product means
os retaining and increasing the fertility Of her
farms without the use OF commercial fertilizers.
Tine paper was full of practical observations, and If
needed must be Of value 90 the cot tOu-prOduciug
States.
Dr. f. W. Hlgarl, Of California, in a paper on
the absorption OF moisture % soils under
various conditions, showed that the law
formulated from experiments in Germany was
not well-fOunded, namely, q" the amount OF
| aoueous vapor absorbed Il approximately
pfoportionate 70 the square of the temperature when
The thcrinonetrc degrees counted from the boil
ing point downward" Dr. Hilgards results showed
that in "A saturated atmosphere there was decided
increase with the temperature Of the moisture aD-
sorDed in ali cases. In the halt-saurated atmos-
phrre the rule Is reversed the amount absorbed de-
crea,Iug a. the temperature rises. rms indicates
the Importance of maintaining certain hygrOmetrc
eond lions of soil 10 counteract the III effects OF sud
den changes IN the atmosphere