The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-07-06

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these results, it appears that a meadow
will yield about four times az much
feed If made into hay as it will if pas
tured. But, as it is we'll known that
the young, tender grass of the often,
cropped pasture is more nutritious than
the older and tougher hay, the station
made chemical analyses of both, and
found the clipping nearly three times
as rich in protein but not quite so rich
in carlo hydrates as the hay. Onthe
whole it thought that the advantage in
nutrients, digestibiity, and freedom
from cost of harvesting, housing, and
feeding of pastured fields, will nearly
balance the greater yield of hay fields,
except on very high priced lands.
The South Dakota bulletin is pre-
faced by the statement that the beef,
mutton, wool, and dairy products of
that State have gained an enviable
reputation, due largely to the excel
lence of the native prairie grasses.
These cure into a perfect hay in that
dry climate, and in this State afford
nutritious grazing all winter. But in
the more thickly populated portions of
the State these native grasses have
been tramped out by over stocking,
and crowded out by the spread of
hardy weeds and weedy grasses which
have been brought in by settlers and
scattered by winds and railroads. To
ascertain what forage crops are best
adapted to the State till the problem
Of restoring the native pastures is
solved, the station has been expert
menting for four years.
Cornh has generally given good results,
as high as % tons of green forage per
acre having been produced. For early
cutting, for soiling purposes, SOW some
large, leafy Southern variety, with a
two horse planter with drill attach
ment, strsddling, on the second run
across the field, one row planted at the
fret run, thus putting the rows half
the usual distance apart, and using
about 6 pecks of seed per acre. Guilt
vate with a drag tooth, one horse cul-
~tivator. For silage, plant a small early
dent or a flint varienty, plant the usual
way and harvest and put into silo when
glezing well. Use a corn harvester.
Amber sorghum, planted as above
described has also been very satisfac,
tory. The non saccharine sorghums,
such as Kaf1r corn, Dhoura, Milo
Maze, and Jerusalem corn have not
been satisfactory. The Dakota season
is too short for them.
Rape has given good results. Small
patches may be sown with a garden
drill in rows Q feet apart, using 3
pounds Of seed per acre, and cultivate
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till large enough to shade out weeds.
For large fields, use a common hoe
grain drill, and If the land is clean,
leave all holes open and give no Guilt
walton, but on foul land, leave but holes
enough open to make rows "a to 80
inches apart and cultivate. If all holes
are open, use 5 pounds of seed per acre.
Sow any time after danger Of frost is
over up to Sept. 1st. A good plan for
a succession, is to SOW a small are
every two weeks. 1t can either be
grazed by cattle, sheep, hogs, etc., or
cut and fed as a soiling crop. Early
Essex and Victoria are equally good
varieties.
A mixture of oats and peas gives
satisfaction both for green soiling and
for cured hay. A good mixture is 4
pecks of peas to 3 pecks of oats, SOW
ing S bushels of the mixture per acre
on rich land and 8 bushels on poor
land. Harvest when the oats are in
milk.
One of the most satisfactory crops
yet tried ia a mixture of hairy vetch
and oats, at the rate of 2 bushels vetch
to 1 of oats, setting the drill to SOW 10
pecks of wheat per acre. The only
drawback to this combination is the
high price of vetch seed-$4 per bushel.
The vetches make a heavy second
growth from the stubble of the first
crop.
Giant Spurry, sown broadcast does
very we'll. It yields two or three cut.
tings each season, stands drouth well
and produces abundance of seed. It is
allow grower, tends to lodge, and makes
q very dry, brittle hay which wastes
badly in handling.
The millets are successful and popu.
lar, and may be sown during May and
June and should be cut when the heads
have gotten well out of the boot. Mos