The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-03-18


the first of May and cut twice. 1t grew
three or four feet high, one seed produce
ing IL good stalks, averaging one inch
in dia meter. All stock eat it ravenouslv.
first saw teosinte in 1880, about lati-
tude 800, as it grew 10 to Is feet high,
each hill showing 20 to so stems, nearly
as large as those of maize, well in bloom.
became convinced that with little pro-
lection the seeds could be matured in
parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Alabama and Florida. During the last
year, 1884, | had some seed planted on
one-eight of an acre of land north of lati-
tude 80, with special reference to decid-
ing this point.
The seeds were obtained late and
planted latein May and came up before
the middle of June. The land is old,
thin; might of good season produce 200
pounds lint cotton per acre, but had
not been cultivated for a year or
two. 1t was well prepared through
blowing up for corn, but had no fertilizer
applied at any time. When the plants
were well up the ground was hoed, and
subsequently plowed three times, the
last time when the plant were about four
| feet high.
The plants grew from ten to fifteen
feet high, each seed producing from ten
to twenty-five stalks, and each stalk
from five to fifteen branches, from eigh-
| teen inches to four feet long, and the
branches bore at the joints the little ears
or spikes, Just as the primary stems die
Five good loads for a two horse wagon
were hauled in for forage, some being
left to mature seed 1t was cut after the
middle of October, when in full bloom
| and when frost was irODandinu
All our stock of every kind eat very
greedily every vestige of the plants they
could obtain, both green and dried as hay.
One remarkable fact about this crop
was that from the time it was planted
until the day it was harvested, it had
but one or two sprinkles-never rain
to moisten the land. This is explained
by the thorough preparation of the land
and the presence of large number of
long, fbrous roots, penetrating widely
and deeply in the soil.
The immature seeds have the same
flavor as those of Indian corn in the
milk stage. Some of the seeds, think,
have matured sufficiently to terminate,
and they will be tested nextspring. l am
still more confident that teosinte can be
acclimated to mature seeds in the Gulf
States. On the borders of the Gulf, es-
pecially in Florida, by cutting the plant
two or three times before it begins to
bloom, so as to prevent the effort to
make seed, the roots would survive
through the winter. If SO, very heavy
crop of seed could be matured the second
year, as the growth of the plant would
commence early and proceed vigorously
from the start
On land we'll adapted to it, think it
would not be difficult to produce 100 tons
Of green fodder to the acre. 1t makes
old land than on new; on hills and rolling
land than on rich moist bottoms, though |
the crop will be lighter. Everything |
considered, / think the most desirable |
crop to make, and on the whole the |
most profitable will be an old hill, land !
that we'll cultivated will produce from |
fifty to seventy tons of green stuff cut |
lust before frost. AS it contains large |
percentage of sugar besides other desir- |
able nutrients, it may be made the very
best and most profitable crop of the |
Southern States for ensilage. The shells |
of the stalks are softer and more easily |
digested than those of sugar cane, sor-
ghum, douna corn, maize, johnson grass
or millet. 1t seems to me that for the |
live stock breeder, even though he should |
pay $40 for seed per acre, it would be the !
cheapest and best crop he could cult |
Vate.
The length Of time occupied in the |
growth of the crop should present no
great objection to the culture of this |
plant. Wheat, rye, oats, barley, sown
in August or September, are not ready
for harvest under eight months; if sown
in January or February, in five months !
So of other forage plants, while this
plant in the test made in 1884, in Just
five months yield the grand harvest of
thirty tons of the best green food per
acre.
If feed be scarce i'll summer teosinte
may be cut three times in one season, as |
needed. But for ensilage only one cut
ting should be made, that in October,
as late as may be safe, on account OF
frost, and when literally crammed with
food elements in admirable combination.
In the United States this plant attains
the greatest perfection for ensilage prob
ably between 800 and $40 of latitude.
The great objection to ensiage is the
cost OF handling and especially hauling
such vast weight of material any consid-
cradle distance. This objection is obvi-
ated by planting teosinte, because a
comparatively small area covered with
it Immediately around the silo will suf-
flee to make the necessary quantity of
ensilage and the hauling be but short
; distance.
The greater the amount of food con-
: sumed assimilated and transformed,
the more milk and butter are produced
by each COW. And the quantity of food
consumed and digested depends much
l ON its flavor and its apetizing influence.
Now, nothing seems to be more relished
by animals, more apetizing' ormore cas-
lily digested and assimilated than teosin-
! tie; nothing better for assisting the di-