Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-07-05

Among tle advantages SaiIleu VII
green crops are the accumulation G
nitrogen in the soil, the rendering solu-
Bile of unavailable mineral matter, the
protection Of the soil with covered
crops, the addition of large amounts
of humus-forIning material to the land,
and the mechanical changes in he soil.
The only disadvantage is the loss OF
the land, upon which n marketable
crop can be grown during the year., its
value depending upon the kind of crop
and the capacity of the soil. Among
the other green crops that are seldom
used may be mentioned corn, millet,
turnips, rape, sorghum, soy beans, ETC.,
but the crimson clover and COW pea
crops are preferred. 1t is claimed that
turnips, by reason of their deep, pene-
trating roots, appropriate a large pro-
portion of the mineral elements of the
subsoil, which are brought to the sur
face when they are plowed under, thus
following COW peas as an aid, increas-
ing the amount of available n
matter, especially p~hosphates, but he
nitrogen from the COW peas Is a clear
gain to the farmer, being derived from
the atmosphere, while the mineral mat
ter is taken from the lower portions
of the lands and brought within his
reach. Any method, however, that rem
ders the plant foods in the soil more
available should be adopted. Green
foods perform valuable service in as
sisting to Increase the supply Of humus,
which enables the soil to retain mois'
ture.
Feeding Prickly Pear to stock.
A bulletin by the United States De,
partment of Agriculture, Bureau OF
animal Industries, contains notes on
the forms of prickly pear and gives
the results Of feeding tests with cows
and steers. The method Of feeding this
plant was that commonly employed up
OF, ranches In Southern Texas, where
tile experiments were conducted.
In tests with two COWS prickly pear
was compared with sorghum hay. The
complete data, including weather OBJ
%servations, are reported. "A full rough
age ration of pear with a constant
grain ration appears to yield fully a.
good results as a full roughage ration
of sorghum hay. The records are rtAllJ
a little more favorable to the pear ra.
ton" The prickly pear ration. includ
ing twelve pounds Of rice bran and
three pounds Of cottonseed meal, cost
1905 cents per COW daily. This allowee
for the labor and gasoline required II
smuggling the cactus. 1t Is stated tha'
prickly pear has been fed to q dairy
herd for two to foul months each yea
for six or eight years with no com
| plant from customers which could II
any way be attributed to pear feeding
A lot of twenty-seven steers was KEEP
In a four-acre feeding lot and fer
chopped prickly pear with ~cottonseee
meal. The largest and most woody
| plants available were selected, chopped
without smuggling, and fed in troughs
early in the morning and about the
middle of the afternoon. The cotton
seed meal was sprinkled on the chopped
prickly pear. The average daily gair
in the 1O5 days of the test was LIE
pounds per head, 55.o3 pounds Of prick
ly pear and IS pounds of cottonseee
meal, at a total cost of 3.4S cents, being
required per pound Of gain. Wher
| shipped to market the average shrink
age per steer was $50 pounds.