Middletown transcript., 1895-05-11

upon the Gra1nmen ana plaG1Orm nanQS,
who are sometimes unjustly suspected Of
drinking from the richest portion of cans
in transit, thereby practically skimming
the milk. This work necessitates close
study of analytical methods, in order that
observed differences may not be properly
charged against the chemists.
STOCK FEEDING AND GENERAL AGRl-
CULTURAL WORK.
| A Home Grown Substitute For Bran-va-
| rietaI Tests of Southern Pea Vine-Can-
ada Field Peas-Flat Peas-Clovers a
Cheap Substitute For Commercial Fer
tilizers-Spring Sown Crimson Glover.
Egyptian Clover r-Srurry-Muriate of
Potash on Crimson Glover and on Sugar
| Corn-Weather Records.
In general, two distinct lines of work
are under study in this department: First,
to devise ways and means for increasing
dairy production without expenditures for
commercial feeding stuffs: second, to in
crease crop returns, at the same time de-
creasing fertilizer bills.
| Bran is at present sold at price very
much in excess of its feeding value. A
trial to demonstrate that silage from the
| southern pea vine is substitute for bran
was finished early last spring. This test
involved the careful daily records of six
cows during period of three months.
Its result in brief was that one pound Of
bran and six pounds Of vine silage, when
considered chemically. were interchangea-
ble When considered on the basis of yield
in butter and of milk, the balance was in
favor of the vine. AS the yield of vine on
measured acre slightly exceeded 12 tons
of green plant, it follows that in this crop
the herdsman at a moderate expense can
raise an equivalent of two tons Of bran per
acre.
The variety used in this case was the
Wonderful, sometimes called the I'm
known. Its yields per acre arc the heav-
lest recorded but it ripens very late, and
| 12 tons of its crop may not exceed, in feed
ing value, nine tons of Clay pea vine.
| Such differences necessitate varietal
studies regarding the habits of growth,
crop yields. chemical composition, seeding
| capacity, time of seeding and of harvest
| ing, etc-studies which the agriculturist
has made upon the leading varieties at
Dover and at Newark. For instance, seed
ings were made of the Unknown on the
| 18th and 30th Of May and on the 11th of
| June. Of these the earliest excelled, and
| of the fertilizers tested the muriate of
potash plots surpassed all others. Black
peas seeded July 8 yielded very we'll; seed
ed July IS, they failed because of drought.
| At Newark the Whippoorwill, the Black
and the Unknown peas were seeded on
the 18th of June. Each gave good stand
of plants, but the Whippoorwill excelled,
yielding 81 bushels of seed per acre, or
eight times as much as the Unknown and
| three times as much as the Blacks.
The above named plants are varieties of
the southern cowpea. The name is incor-
rect and misleading for the plant Is
true bean, yielding quickly to frosts. Two
| varieties of peas true to name were under
test, one the Canada field pea, the other
! the SO called fiat or wood pea.
Canada peas are sown with oats, to sup.
| port the vine, as early in the season as
possible. In 1894 the date was March 20.
This crop was cut and made into hay on
| the 1st of July. 1t yielded two tons per
acre, one-third of which was pea vine and
| two-thirds oats. Even in this unexpected
proportion high feeding value was found
| in trials upon milch COWS, and as result
more than so bushels of said seed were
| sown in the neighborhood of Newark dur
| ing the early weeks of April. 1895.
The flat pea is difficult plant to start
years, yielding product richer in food for
milch COWS than any other plant now on
record. The stand of this plant at New
ark failed in spite of extreme care and
heavy outlay. The few plants which grew
until fall winter killed. The ground is
clayey and clearly unfit for this growth.
At Dover in trial conducted for the sta
tion by Mr.. E. G. Packard. on sandy loan
the stand was good, the growth excellent
| and the outlook for the second years crop
favorable
Attempts to increase farm crops at the
same time decreasing fertilizer bills are
based upon the fact that every soil con-
tains very large amount of inert plant
food. This food is no less valuable than
the phosphates of South Carolina and
Florida or the carnalite of the German
potash mines. Either of these products,
if used without previous preparation,
would be found valueless, or positive in
jury to crops. The inert phosphates are
made available with oil Of yitriOl in the
fertilizer factory, and poisonous products
are washed from the carnalite at Stassfurt,
leaving the valuable muriate of potash for
the agriculturist. In like manner agents
are needed for attacking and making
available the inert prosphates and potash
compounds in the farmers soil. and these
agents are the clovers, the beans, peas,
ETC. Such growths actually excrete IN
acid from their roots which digests the
food at points where it can be at once alb
sorbed by the plant. This power is not
credited in a high degree to corn, oats.
wheat, etc. hence the good results which
follow when these last named crops are
preceded in rotation by crimson clover, by
cowpeas or similar plants plowed down as
green manure.
The advice of practical men who have
paid for their farms by the use of clover
and similar plants, to the almost complete
exclusion of commercial fertilizers and
stable manure is Use fertilizers on clover
if by that means only you can secure q
crop. A test at Dover indicated that muri-
ate of potash yielded II tons of green
clover per acre. when unfertilized plots
gave three tons only.
Crimson clover seeded at Newark on the
2Sth Of March, 1894, was 18 inches tall
and coming into blossom early in August.
This is contrary to accepted ideas as to the
habit of this plant and may add materially
to its usefulness Seeded in June, it failed
utterly on account of dry weather. Egyp-
tian clover and spurry also failed both at
Newark and at Dover
For the improvement of worn lands
with minimum expenditure for fertiliz-
ers the following combination is most |
promising-viz, crimson clover seeded in
corn and allowed to grow until late in the |
following May, then plowed down. Either |
the Whippoorwill, or the Black. or the Clay |
pea should be planted in this field early in |
June and plowed down late in August or |
early in September. This course, adopted |
by Mr.. Wilkins Coooh, on his farm near
Newark. resulted in 1898 in a wheat crop
of 35 bushels per acre. from field which |
never before had yielded more than 16 bushels |
per acre.
A sugar corn test, at Newark to determine |
the effects of fertilizers upon the quality of |
product, demonstrated simply that muriate Of |
potash protected the plant against a very Pc |
culiar blight of the stalk. The potash plot |
yielded "a tons of canning ears, three times |
the yield from the unmanured lands The |
gain was made solely by protecting the stand
of the plants.
Sweet corn is a profitable substitute for oats |
when canned corn commands it's usual market |
price. Scarlet clover seeded in the field corn /
and allowed to mature offers five weeks of |
%.,,,s.