The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1903-12-22

The paper of John Cullen on Dairy
ing, follows:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the
Association.
You have assigned the subject of
dairy folders to me and I will give
you what little experience I have in
the following folders:
ALFALFA.
L think it can take the lead as a
milk producer, but I am doubtful if
the milk will be of the best quality
because all folders that produce a
very large flow of milk have a ten
dency to be poor Therefore it should
be fed with sorghum or whatever other
grasses that have fat producing quail
ties. 1 always feed sorgham along
with it and it makes a very good feed
and in rainy season corn cut green.
Corn makes good change of diet
which l consider a good thing for
stock. Also it helps to clean the land
and improves it for some other crop
either sorghum or alfalfa. Alfalfa
should have good light soil as heavy
soil gets hard with the irrigation and
in short time begins to deteriorate.
it clean and free from weeds. I have
tried cultivating it from two or three
inches deep with a two horse cultiya-
tor, then harrow it we'll and clean all
weeds of it. I find it makes a. great
improvement. I grade the land and
sow it broadcast using fifteen to twen-
ty pounds of seed per acre. The great
trouble is to get it started. I have
To
and six times, being all eaten with
cut worms, therefore it is an expen-
sive crop to start sometimes. I have
tried several things to stop them, such
as lime and fertilizer, but keeping it
| we'll irrigated prevents them as much
as anything as they don't get along
so we'll in the damp soil.
SORGHUM.
I consider it very good fodder for
| dairy purposes. 1t is a sure crop and
produces a large yield per acre and
VIII ratoon from one to two years
providing the soil is we'll p1oughed and
, cultivated. 1t is generally grown in
rows, but I think there is a great
waste of land growing it in that way,
| therefore I have tried grading and
sowing it broadcast 1t produces a
much larger yield but I am doubtful
if it will rattoon so long, but the
larger yield will repayethe ploughing
and sowing of the land oftener. When
graded and laid off in beds it can
be cut with hay mower which saves
time and labor.
GUINEA GRASS.
I have tried the growing of this
grass as a dairy fodder but have not
been very successful with it. The
land has to be in a high state of Gull
tivation to grow it, because if the
crop gets stunted in growth it be-
| comes hard to harvest. Therefore I
have discontinued the growing of it
| although I believe it is a good fodder
i if properly cultivated.
(, IMPROVING MOUNTAIN PASTURE.
I have tried the experiment of
ploughing about ten acres at an ele-
walton of six hundred feet / sowed
oats and wheat the first year and
had fair crop of hay. I reploughed
it again and planted sweet potatoes
on four acres, they started all right.
but cut worms made their appearance
and ate them up. However, I left it
alone all the rainy season and the
manienie started to grow and at the
present time it is fine pasture the
other six acres I sowed with wheat.
sorghum and Johnston grass After
it got a certain height I let the cows
Craze it. Now the manienie has
started to grow on this piece also and
L expect with a seasons rain it will be
all covered.
JOHN CULLEN.
The remaining papers will be pub
lished in subsequent issues.