Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-05-11
Sargum and EnSilage.

W. A. Henry, professor of agricul-
ture at the state university, having
submitted his second annual report to
the governor, on the experiments in
amber cane and ensilage of folders,
the same has gone through the press.
and will, without doubS, be found high
ly interesting to the agriculturist. The
professor says of the cane crop:
A careful study of this subject for
the past two years through the medium
of 3 large correspondence with the
cane growers Of the state, and with
our two years experience in growing
the plant upon the experimental farm,
points most couclusively to a sandy
soil as the one best adapted, every
thing considered to cane growing. A
sandy soil is warmer than any other
kind, and no other plant that We cult
vate at the north revels in heat
40 does the sorghum plant.
and make but 81 stuntei growth
where cane with its roots reaching
down deep into the soil will keep on
growing. A second advantage ofsandy
soil lies in the fact that IL generally
does not possess any very large amount
of humus or decaying vegetable mat
ter which proves detrimental to
clear sweet juice in the cane plant.
Experience from the very first has
shown that the dearest juice and light
est colored syrup with the east acid in,
are from cane grown on such soil as l
am here considering. A third
point in favor OF sandy land
is the ease with which it
can be cultivated; this point Is OF more
importance with cane than with corn,
for the rugged corn pl mt can push its
way through unwilling soil and lift
quite large clogs that may be holding
it down while the start in life of the
cane plant is the critical period il its
history, and slight crust on the soil or
some slight obstruction will efectfully
hold 1t down.
The yield OF syrup from our really
sandy lands, such as those along the Wis
consin river ia Iowa and Richland coun
ties, may be set down as one hundred
gallons to the acre, with fair conditions.
To this should be added something
like twenty bushels of seed. When it
is considered that such an amount
of the very finest syrup can be
made from cane grown upon land worth
but a few dollar per acre, and
which is too poor to grow paying crops
of corn at the same cost for cultivatio
and manuring. i must be admitted
that since such lands exist in abund-
ance, the subject or gtowing amber
cane deserves considerable attention.
With rich sandy loan, such as that
capable eff growing good crop of corn,
the yield of syrup will be not less than
one hundred and fifty gallons per
acre. such syrup requires more care
in manufacture than that from light
san,y soils, ana will be darker from
the use of more lime in DELEGATION.
Well drained clay and gravel lands
usually produce large yields of syrup,
which is of the very finest favor and
quality.
Regarding experiments With ensilage,
the professor says:
The value of dried fodder corn is
appreciated by our enterprising dairy
asts of immense yields of fodder corn
to the acre, are not In the least favor
able TO ensillge, if this same green
material possesses equal feeding value
when prepared in some cheaper way.
Most of our farmers in this state feed
fodder corn in the bundle, or sheaf.
without passing it through cutter.
The query arises, is there anv material
loss in this method of feeding, and if
so will it pay to use the silo to save
such los? How muca longer would
given area of fodder corn
last if preserved in the silo than
if cut, shocked, and fed in the
bundle? The design of the expert
meut was to meet this question. Once
knowing the difference, q farmer can
decide whether it Is cheaper to make
up the loss Of growing more acres of
fodder corn, chatting it when dried, or
preserving it in the silo. The expert.
ment designed and carried Gu: st the
experimental farm, was to take fodder
corn ffom equsl acres, cut and shock
that from one plat, and put that from
the other into silo, and iced to mich
cows to ascertain what the difference in
feeding value might be between the
two lots.
The fodder corn was planted IL drills
three feet apart, and so thick in the
row that no ears couli form. Eigh-
teen rows forty-eight rods long were
planted with Dr.. Bailey's ensilage ccrn,
and presented much heavier growth,
with the rows about equally good sill
the way across the field.
The report sives instruction regard
ing the construction of a silo for ensil
sge. Il contains tho reports of Mr..
Swenson, giving many results Of ex-
periments with twenty or thirty varie-
ties of cane, sud his experiments wish
ensilage.
o-
Five million dollars worth OF stock