The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-05-22

Quack grass is not difficult to man.
age; but, like some other things, good
in themselves, it becomes hateful When
mismanaged. 1t may be made exceed
ingly valuable in comparison with 9TH
er grasses thought to be Indispensable
to us. saws a correspondent of Rural
New Yorker. It's persistent growth and
fast hold upon the ground should make
it one Of the most highly valued of all
the grasses. l cultivated it in New Jer-
sey in q field of several acres of which
it had taken entire possession, giving it
liberal supplies Of fertilizer and a
spring narrowing with heavy, sharp
toothed harrow to loosen the soil, using
it as green feed for my cows as well
as for hay. l one year sOWed clover
seed with this quack grass after a thor
ough narrowing of tire surface, and the
yield was over two tons to the acre Of
the best hay. After four years Of use
in this way, the clover having run out,
the land was plowed to sufficient
depth to expose the mat of roots, which
was very thick, occupying most of the
soil I dug out one square foot of the
sod a foot deep, and after shaking off
the soil as much as possible the roots
and grass weighed four pounds and one
ounce, equivalent to about eighty tons
Of ordinary manure per acre. The land
was put into corn, and after q few
borrowings at intervals Of two days
the roots were dead by exposure to the
sun and dry weather, so that there was
very little trouble in working the corn.
Then sugar ,beetS and mangelS were
grown on partCof the land and potatoes
on the rest, wheat following, after
which it was seeded to grass and clo-
yer. IF i could have got the seed of the
Quack grass. | should certainly have
sOwn that in preference to any other.
AS to the effects of this grass on the
milk, my wife, after two Or three
Cummings from the green Quack grass,
asked WhatI was giving the COWS, as
the butter had increased SO much.
Food For Cows.
During the period that COWS are dry
they should be fed enough to keep
them III a thrifty condition without
their becoming too fat Bran. roots,
clOver hay, cornstalks, etc. make
q most suitable variety Of food. The
aim at this period should be to feed
nonStimulating foods and only that
which has cooling and laxative effect
upon the system. \ COW should never
be fed heavy food Just before dropping
her calf. Heavy food at such a time,
especially foodstuff of Il carbonaceols
or heating nature, is a very injurious
food to be given and may cause in
nammation or garget III the udde-. It
is important, however, that during this
period the COW should be we'll fed.
Feeding; Value of Rape.
Rape has high feeding value. It
makes an excellent feed for fattening
sheep and swine, and for producing an
abundant flow of milk in milk COWS.
On account of danger, of tainting the
milk many people do not feed it to the
COWS until after milking. Rape can
be used to good advantage as d part
of the ration for animals that are be-
ing fed in pens for market or for the
show ring. BY beginning as early as
practicable in the spring and seeding
at intervals of two or three weeks a
continuous succession Of rape can be
produced throughout the period when
the permanent pastures are most like
~ to be short. Rape will endure quite
severe cold weather and thus will last
a long time after the ordinary pasture
grasses succumb ito the frost. By the
use of this crop stock can be got
into good condition for the holiday
markets or for winter, and there need
to be no check in growth, fat and milk
production through insufficient succu-
lent food during the late summer and
autumn months, as lis too frequently
the case.
A Large SdIo.
The silo is popular with >stockmen
and farmers in South Dakota. Here is
apicture of the largest silo in the state.