Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-01-14
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE ISSUES INTER
E>TING REPORT or ENPEHI
MENT AT BROWNSVILLE.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
rEI'kLl PEAR IL VALUABLE FOR
DAIRY COW WHEN TIRE IL 4
SHORTAGE OF WATEI; FIND
INGS OF TWO YEARS.

COWS the dairy division of the Bureau
Of Animal Industry ia corporation with
he Office Of Farm Management II the
bureau of Plant Industry. United
STATES Department Of Agriculture. con
Quoted a series of experiments. 1911
1919. az Brownsville. Texas.
Following II a summary ~ results OF
tanned:
I'rickly pear was found IT, hc very
palatab.e and when judiciouSlv fed was
ia no way detrimental t. the cow or her
product during the two years trial.
The most satisfactory amount was G0
To 100 pounds Of the pear per row per
LAY. depending upon the size of the cow
and upon the WELD of milk. With this
medium ration the COWS looked thrifty
and there was no detrimental effect
upon the size and vi.or of the offspring
or upon the COW after parturition. Larg
or quantities Of the pear caused q very
laxative condition Of the bowels and
kept the stable ia a more or less un.
sanitary condition. Chemical analysis
showed that the pear was low ia protein.
high IN mineral matter. and contained
from - 10 ~ per cent If water. This
ANALYSIS. and also the feeding trials. IN
Dictated that the pear should IT, used
with some dry feeding containing Il
large amount Of protein and that the
pear on account of H. high mineral con
tent i a good feed To- give with a ration
deficient IN mineral matter. like cotton
seed hulls.
When compared with other common
roughaees in southern Texas the pear
was found 10 have the following relative
value for the production Of milk fat:
! pound sorghum hay. equal 70 lOl
pounds of pear: | pound Of sorghum
i age equal 10 - pounds Of pear: !
pound cotton seed hullS equal "a -
pounds Of pear.
The sorghum hay la these expert
mental raiiunS WAS about the average
quality. while the sorghum Silagc was
below the standard. Hy substituting "a
Ia 80 pounds Of pear for a portion Of
The dry roughagc he percentage of fat
ia the milk was decreased IL per cent
un an average. II also decreased some
what the total amount of fat and The
percentage Of solids not fat but IN
creased the total vie Il of milk. Like
pasture grass the pear produced =
higher colorcd butter than did the dry
feed. The flavor Of the milk and butter
was not impaired il amy way.
4 good daily maintenance ration for
grade Jersey COWS when dry was found
To bc a. follows: | 10 q pounds of Sor
ghum hay. | pound cotton seed meal. G1
to loo pounds Of pear.
Two dry COWS were maintained for 80
and 80 days. respectively. on liz and
ln5 pounds If pear per day with two
pounds IL cotton seed meal ~ Il supple
mtnt. one COW feel pear alone for 80
days lost - pounds in weight. Another
cow died from >toppasc Of the small IN
lr>tinc with balls ~ fiber. when feel on
pear alone. Cows fed pear appeared Ia
IT, more sensitive a. cold weather than
when fed dry feed. This was borne
out IN the decrease i'm milk production
following northcr>. Those receiving a
heavy ration IF pear decreased ~ milk
flow 40 per cent AMI those receiving
only dry feed l.9l per cent. Cows led
nn ruughagc except pear. drank no WA
ter for DAYS at a time and then only a
few swallows. those feel l50 pounds per
DAY drank an average of > pounds daily:
those fed - pounds. drank ~ pounds
daily: those fed on dry feed drank ~
pounds per day on an average. From
these results il appears that pear j. a
valuable feed when there j. a scarcity of
stock water
Worklng at the usual rate. one man
using a gasoline torch could SINCE one
ton Of pear in - minutes with one and
twothirds gallons Of gasoline. After
smuggling. the pear can Ice harvested bN
cutting and hauling 10 the feed lots. or
the cattle can h. turned into the fled.
The latter method j. more wasteful of
the feed but requires less labor.
Both spine aud spincless varieties
were feb i'll the> trials. but ~ difference
could bc detected in chemical compost
tion or feeding value for mil produc.
tiOn.
Thc >pinelc>S pear can BE- harvested
more cheaply than the >piny because II
DOS not need singeins. but in Southern
Texas the Yield l. less.
Under farm conditions the cost Of e.
tahli>hing a field ~ pear viii ~ - ~
:. per acre. When once established and
properly cared for the field If pear
will last indefinitely the Young growth
~pringing from the old stUmp> a soon
~ the pear j. harvested. In Southern
Texas no irrigation j. necessary. hut
shallow cultivation Suffirinet 10 keep
out weeds and grass should be given