Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-08-30


organic matter was produced by one
acre of corn as was secured from al
most two acres Of beets.
Similar although very much less
striking results were obtained at tho
Maine state experiment station In a
comparison Of several classes Of fof-
age crops, and involving in each Case
two years work. at the Ontario ag-
ricultursl experiment station silage
corn gave second highest yield of di-
gestible material per acre as the aver
age Of two seasons comparisons Of six
types OF forage crops Both OF these
experiment stations are out of the
corn belt, and less favorable show
ing for corn was to be expected.
In the Pennsylvania experiments
careful account of the cost of growing,
harvesting and storing the two crops
was kept with the following results:
Cost of one acre OF beets in pit...$56.G CT
Cost Of one acre of corn in silo...... 81. IL
In 1890 the cost OF one acre of beets
was $50.
The Wisconsin experiment station
reports the cost of ono uere of sugar
DCCtS 1Ioh . bWO>0CAO "Akhous
charging rent of lard and using no
fertilizers, at s53.sO.
The Ohio experiment station grow
sugar beets at cost of $31.36 per
acre in 1890, and S3s. 81 in 1891. mulsing
no charge for fertilizers or rent Of
land.
The average cost per acre of sugar
beets. when grown on commercial
scale in California. as reported by
seven large growers, was S4S.s5
AT the United States sugar beet ex.
pertinent station, Schuyler, Neb., the
cost per acre in 1899 was si9.Ts, exclu-
sive of fertilizers and rent
In special cases these figures may be
considerably reduced for both crops,
bnt 1t Is believed that the relation
between them given above is ap-
correct for average
conditions.
In feeding trial involving two lots
of five cows each and covering three
periods of twelve days, 100 pounds Of
digestible matter in the silage ration
produced 1912 pounds Of milk and
2. FL pounds of butter, while an equal
amount Of digestible dry matter In the
form of roots prodace 1877. 36 pounds of
milk and 6. SO pounds OF butter-a diff
ference in the butter produced of 10.4
per cent But when the two lots Of
COWS were fed alike on combined ra-
tion of beets and silags the silage lot
produced, per 100 pounds OF digestible
matter consumed, 1879 pounds Of milk
and d 70 pounds of butter, and the
roots lot $50 pounds of milk and 6. 40
pounds of butter, thus showing an mp
parent superiority of the COWS consti-
tutIng the silage lot When this is
taken account of it leaves q net gain
In feeding value of the silsge over the
roots of 5 per cent
Similar results were obtained at this
station in 1890.
These results are also in accord with
those of trials extending over four
years, and involving in two expert
ments twelve cows euch. and in two,
sixteen cows, at the Ohio experiment
station. Below is given summary OF
their results:
POUNDS OF MILK PRODUCED PER 10 POUNDS
OF DRY NATTER CONSUMED.
1889. Is9o. 1891. 1897;
siisse shss e1aGR raeion......: i....' g g. s S IS
The average of all experiments
points to the conclusion that when
compared upon the basis of digestible
matter, silage is at least as effective as
sugar beats or mangels for the pro-
duction of milk or butter.
A BULLETIN of tho Georgia station
says: Natural vegetation-that
which grows ''wild"-upon u soil is
also to some extent indicative of its
chemical composition. The hard wood
trees (oak, hickory, etc., for instance,
the ashes OF which contain a great
deal of potash and considerable phos-
phoric acid, will only grow spontane-
ously upon soils rich in potash and
fairly well supplied with phosphates.
The cedar and certain grasses, whose
ashes contain much lime, grow natur-
ally upon limestone soils. The pine,
which contains but little ash, grows
naturally upon poor soil, as 1t makes
but n small demand upon the soil for
food of any kind. 1t frequently hap
pens that whom hard wood timber (oak,
hickory, etc-) has been cut
off from tract Of land aud
the soil cultivated for con-
siderable period OF time and
then thrown out of cultivation, it is
followed by spontaneous growth of
pine (old field pine especially). This
indicates that the soil originally con-
tanned a sufficient supply of available
potash and phosphoric acid compounds
to support the growth Of hard wood
trees. The timber in its growth, how
ever. followed by period of exhaust
i've cropping, exhausted the soil of its
available mineral food, and the subse-
quent Spontaneous growth upon it,
therefore. would only be pine trees
and similar vegetation requiring but
little mineral food. During the growth
OF the pine the minerals of the soil
undergo additional weathering and de-
composition, thus storing up in the soil
\ fresh upply of availab plant food.
When the pine is cut off it is, there
fore, frequently followed by u spon-
taneous growth of oak, hickory, etc
Farmers Review.
HIcKoHY-NUT FnLISa.--Boil together
a tencupful sugar aud little water
nsLn brittle when dropped in cold