The record-union., 1899-03-30


tables showing them how to treat their
cattle, and in all cases they have i'm
proved by following balanced rations.
The balanced ration tables submitted
showed from % TO % per cent. of dry
matter food, from 2.3O to 2.5S of pro-
tein, from AZ to 73 of fat. from II to 10
of carbo-hy ydrates, and from % to 81 OF
food valuable as calorics"
AT the conclusion of the lecture the
Professor answered a number of ques-
tions regarding foods. He said he
found wheat hay poorer in protein than
barley or oats. Alfalfa runs as high
as % per cent in some places, being
richer than bran in protein" he said.
Professor Fowler answered a number
of questions along the same line suS-
gested by Professor Jaffa. He said Den
mark was fine example of good re-
suits from a balanced ration. In Den-
mark the average yield of butter had
been raised by proper feeding from 100
to 300 pounds.
The afternoon program began with
song, after which the Chairman again
opened the question box, which is a
marked feature of all institutes held
under the direction of the University.
The first question was, do You
Think Beet Culture Would Be Profit
able on Our Soil?"
In reply, Professor Fowler said: L
believes in beet culture, and if the pulps
are returned the loss of carbons will be
made up by the pulp"
Senator Johnson believed the beet
would rapidly exhaust the soil, differing
from the speaker, but the question was
not fully discussed because it belonged
to the promise outlined by Professor
Jaffa in a paper on Orchard Fertiliza-
tion''
The afternoon talk of Professor Fow-
Ter was on 1.-The Possibilities of Alfalfa
for the Silo." He said he would make
his talk brief, owing to the press for
time He said, in part:
Alfalfa is the best forage crop that
can be raised on the face Of the earth.
1t produces in large and valuable guam
titles with great ease, and the SacrS1
mento country excels in producing a
large variety of cheap food for cattle.
There is certainly a great future for
the cattle and dairy business in the
Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys.
to the acre, and it is the most valuable
of all hays. Pea and bean straws alone
burn, but they are fine when mixed with
alfalfa. Alfalfa and straw are better
than alfalfa alone, because they make a
better balanced ration. Straw and al
falfa in layers form a. good food, for
the horses will eat every spear of The
straw; and if you have alfalfa alone
your horses will eat up your fences to
make up the balanced ration. I believe
in fodder corn with alfalfa, for the COM
bination makes good silage and forms
the proper carbohydrates for the ami
mas. This also makes a. cheap feed
for dairy cattle, for it does not cost as
much to cure corn for the silo as to
cure it in the old way; besides, in the
silo way you do not lose more than 3
or per cent. of the value of the corn.
but the old way you lose as much as 25
per cent
For small dairies the tank stave silo
is greatly used, especially in Southern
California. The hoops are of iron. and
these silos may be made any size de-
sired"
In reply to various questions the
speaker emphasized the fact that silage
would be found very valuable in Cali
fornia, where green feed gives out much
earlier than is generally believed. 1t
had been found at dairies and else
where that silage fed cattle produce the
most milk of the BEST quality. At Peta-
luna 1t had been found beyond all cues
ton that silage was a paying invest
ment. While there was some prejudice
against it at first, it was soon found to
be very valuab
/ care not how many advantages you
nave" said the speaker, you must save
the alfalfa and the waste products. and
those reap the greatest rewards who
nave the best genius of economizing all
the products of the SOIL"
Senator Johnson spoke briefly at the
conclusion of the lecture by Professor
Fowler He said: IT feed corn silage
and alfalfa hay in preference to alfalfa
silage, as recommended by the speaker.
My silos are a success; I have two and
L am building a third, but 1 put corn
alone into the silos, using squash and
alfalfa hay with it. The cost of max
ing corn sllage is much less than people
suppose, for | find corn can be put
INTO salage to the weight of 40 pounds
10 the square foot. The way to make
sHo is to make it high and air tight.
| disagree with some speakers. Cali
lornla has over-produced everything
she has ever attempted-whaat -hutter
fruit etc, etc. believe the Professors
would do better by preaching diversi-
he'd farming. The fact is, 1 never send
my wagons to town without 1 have
something in the wagon for sale"
Frofessor Fowler then explained that
siiage and dairying usually resulted in
diversified farming, for hogs and
do we'll on the things raised on
dairies. ga
ROBERT Shields followed with an adj
lress on Irrigation as Practiced on the
american River" He said he was not
an orator, but an irrfgator. He would
De Pleased to explain the system in use
as best he could.
We began this work in nractica,
way four years ago." he said "and at
the outset there We're many who called
us cranks, and insisted that irrigation
would be of little value to orcha rds
Experience has taught us that trees
VIII produce from one-fourth IN ono
third more fruit of marketable char
acter under irrigation than otherwise.
Inc buyers find our fruit of the de-
sired grade and free from blemisbes
while the trees are in far better shape
tnan before. All of us are ir-rigating
now, and 1t is conceded that it is the
proper thing. OF course. the first year
Is the most expensive to an irrigator.
put after the fumes and pipes are laid
there Is little to do and the expense is
very reasonable. One year our irriga-
ton cost US SO an acre, and we were
so pleased with results that we are