The National tribune., 1894-12-13
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
Utah Experiments.

Station:
Steers fed on mixed hay alone for 1f2
days gained 100 pounds pes day each.
Steers fed straw and hay with grain
gained 70 pounds per day each for 80 days.
Steers fed on lucerne and straw for 56 days
gained practically nothing Steers fed on
red clover and straw for % days gained sc
pounds per day each.
Steers fed on grain and straw for 10 days
gained SO pounds per day per steer.
All the steers, after having been fed az
specified, gained but 81 pounds per day for
50 days on mixed hay grain, and roots.
The smallness of the gain is thought to be
due to the change Of the food.
Steers housed at night and in yard during
the day, when fed on hay and grain, and
either roots straw, or ensilage, gained 1.35
pounds per day each for 81 days.
The experiments indicate that any at
tempt to crowd a steer late in the Spring,
after he has been moderately well fed, will
result in loss.
or enslage.
As the amount of grain fed increased, the
growth increased, and the cost of the gain
decreased.
Steers bought at two cents and fed in the
manner indicated during the Winter cannot
be sold at profit in the Spring for less than
three cents.
Nut Grass.
The best way to extirpate nut grass or
| COCO is to prevent its maturing seed above
ground. The best season for fighting it is
between Midsummer and frost time. The
| ground should be frequently stirred during
\ the growing period so "a TO stimulate its
| growth, and the tall seed stems should be-
cut down in the following stage, if not be-
/ fore. The old method Of DESTROYING mt
| grass, by cutting it OF beneath the ground
every time a sprig appears above the surface
| Is useless expenditure Of labor 1t is requi-
site only to pillow or chop down the grass at
the regular intervals Of working Indian corn,
| collards, or any other crop.
| Another excellent way of destroying nut
grass is By choking it out with vigorous
/ growing crop. After the Summer-Culti-
waited crop is harvested, plow and prepare
the land thoroughly; then seed it heavily
TO some Winter crop adapted to the soil.
Crimson clover is the best for this purpose
in most localities, and is at the same time
very profitable crop for improving light
soils and for Winter grazing.
Winter yetCh may be used to advantage
In some places; and cropping with rye or
rescue grass FOR Winter grazing, to be turned
under for green fertilizer in the Spring. is
far preferable to leaving the land bare. The
Winter crop in any case should be plOwed
under IN the Spring and followed by a we'll
cultivated Summer crop. The increased
fertility Of the soil resulting from this treat
ment will enable the farmer much more
easily to kill out any remnant of the nut
grass or other weeds.
Extreme care should be exercised that only
pure seed be sown, for by the thoughtless use
Oflmpure seed the farmer is fostering the evil
which at other times ne is trying by costly
labor 10 prevent.
Experiments with Fodder.
1t must be satisfactory TO those who have
attached but little value to corn fodder to
learn that nearly all of The Experiments
Stations are at work testing the cut and I'M
cut material in comparison with other foods,
and especially as the reports are very favor
able to corn fodder, which is wasted to q
large extent. Farmers have heretofore
Judged corn fodder by lis palatabeness,
which has been proved by recent expert
iments to be false guide, and that it is
also possible to render it more palatable if
it is prepared and fed with ether foods.
Fed in competition with clover hay corn
fodder has given excellent results, and the
result demonstrates that to allow it to
waste in the fields is unwise on the part
of the farmer, as it possesses sufficient
value to pay for any labor that may be be-
slowed upon its preparation, and cattle
will learn to accept it readily.
During the year the Wisconsin Expert
ment Station fed cornstalks against hay, the
being ,374 pounds of cornstalks,
$50 pounds of cornmeal and 392 pounds of
bran, which produced ], 100 pounds of milk
and 81 pounds of butter, while 755 pounds
of hay, with the same quantities of eornmeal
and bran, gave 1,063 pounds of milk and 90
pounds of butter. Although the experiment
showed that one pound of hay was about
equal to three pounds Of corn fodder, yet it
that enough of the latter food
will be eaten to more than equal the hay,
but large portion of the fodder was uncon-
Sumed. The next experiment was with cut
fodder, the result being that the fodder was
nearly all eaten, and it was found that $50
pounds produced the same amount of milk
that was produced from 1,346 pounds fed
whole, or uncut the difference between the
tut and uncut varying from II to 90 per
cent, according to the variety of corn.
At the New Hampshire College with
cdder tha5 had been shredded. and with
rushed fodder at the Missouri Station, the
results were very satisfactory, the cattle eat
ng it with but little waste, and it proved
'qual TO hay. 1t must not be overlooked
hat the value of corn fodder depends upon
IS being harvested at the proper stage of
growth, and that it must be properly cured.
L is given q rank in value at about three
ourths that of good hay when harvested
nd properly cured, and then ent up or
hredded. The cost depends upon the labor
f cutting or preparing it. but at the present
Iy the fodder cutters perform such worf
uickly and perfectly, while the shredders
ermit of its being fed into the machine as
apidly as wheat can be passed through
hresher, from which il comes in fine con-
itiOD. With such food, and the use of
round grain and bran, the corn fodder crop
one of the most valuable on the farm if
lrmers viii utilize it to the best advantage
What the KIeck Struck.
Net0 York TyibUne.l
Tf,a II H.