The Florida agriculturist., 1907-12-25
Valuable Experiences m Soiling.

number OF cattle can DC leu uOlu
given number Of acres, by sOlllng over
What the land will sustain when they
are pastured, has been proven SO
many times that it is not necessary to
dwell upon it. Soiling is much more
important in this state, than at the
North On account Of the lack of good
pasture. We do not mean to say that
good pasture cannot be provided in
Florida, because we know that it can,
but only that very few have it.
A correspondent of the American
Agriculturist, writing from the state
of New York, says:
In point of milk flow, we have ex-
ceeded former years. In ease of crop
production, the year has been difficult
to manage It was cold and backward
in the spring and we had to rely upon
forage. from last year until rye and
wheat were ready excepting, hoM1Ter,
the feed furnished from quarter acre
of the COW pasture. We hustled the
rye by using nitrate Of soda and nearly
doubled our crop. We allowed sec
ond growth Of rye to come on over
portion Of the field. This did not show
any marked effect from nitrate. Alfal-
ia followed rye and wheat, then red
clover and oats and peas, some timo-
thy, both as hay and green stuff, with
alfalfa, clover, and buckwheat follow
ing along.
While pastures have long since been
out Of commission and COWS depending
upon them giving a small flow, we
have been going at nearly full speed.
The one thing Of the season which has
most impressed me, is the small differ
ence in the milk producing power Of
different plants which we grow when
in prime condition. We changed from
green rye to alfalfa with only a slight
gain in milk. Experiments Of this sort
are not easily conducted upon the farm,
because we do not take into cOnsidera-
ton every condition bearing upon the
case. It is hard to make men believe
that rye would approximate alfalfa as
forage plant, because it's prime use
fulness will occupy only few days. I
would not displace alfalfa with rye:
The point [ wish to make is this: Any
plant suitable to the soil. and locality
will, if cut when at it's best and fed
with a grain ration, maintain full milk
flow. [ emphasize this point because
[ have discussed soi1ing with many
who have deferred because they could
not grow alfalfa or big crops of corn
or, in fact, any one of the prominent
forage plants Let me say to those
who delay, don't wait another year:
any plant will do if green and succu-
lent, except corn. That should be we'll
matured
Tons Of grain this year have been
allowed to ripen, and the straw go to
IA foo IL
only a moderate yield which would.
had 1T been fed green, have given
good. cash return in milk not only di
rectly, but IN keeping up flow. The
waste is enormous in permitting
shr1nkage and then trying to catch up,
Just make a trial of any plant found
upon the farm and see whether I am
right or wrong.
After this truth has been established
ne Will at once begin a careful invesu-
cation Of the individual of the plants
suited to his methods, soil and latitude
Dr::" Sharpe, Of New Jersey, emphasized
this point at a meeting held at his
farm. Said he: "You will find it dm4i-
cult, indeed, to note difference in the
plants growing in this 1ocalitv OF
courSe' some may produce a larger
tonnage than others and they will be
more profitable, but the plant itself will
vary more at different STAGES Of
growth than variety of plants in the
same sucCulent state"
commercial manure in a dry season
does not work ont &c wall -