Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-05

else will not hurt them but Will enable
them to digest their feed to better adj
vantage: Alfalfa and sorghum hay
should make a good dry rJughage 70
use as suggested. Keep the appetite On
edge and feed and push them vigorously
bur do not over feed. We feel quite Ger
tain that you can make the gain sug-
gested on the rations Indicated.
THE MERITS OF VELVET BEANS,
J. L. s., Coleman, Tex, writes. would
Ike to know the value Of velvet beans. We
have here a semi-arid climate and our rain
fall is about Is inches. DO you think We
would find this a profitable crop to plant
with cornI
The velvet bean Is a crop grown quite
extensively in Georgia, and it's cultiva-
tion is extending because of the favor
it is finding with many farmers as q
source of forage and grain. Some varle-
ties are adapted to general cultivation
in this state. Its rise in public favor
is IF rather recent date. however. due to
the fact that the old original velvet bean
or Florida bean took a very long time
in which to mature, thereby eliminating
its cultivation to the southern part of
the state and to points in Florida. In
recent years the 80 or 100-day velvet
| bean has been developed and is now
quite extensively cultivated. There are
several varietiest Of the relatively early
maturing velvet beans, but we are in
clined to think the speckled or 1OO-day
is one of the best of the lot We pre-
sumo, therefore, that this variety would
mature satisfactorily in your climate.
The yield Of beans varies greatly, from
20 bushels and upwards per acre, though
20 bushels is probably a pretty high
average OF course. in the northern
part of a state like Georgia the SOY
| bean and cowpea are likely to hold their
own with the velvet bean, and probably
show decided advantage for cultivation
over 1t until it's early maturing qualities
have been better established. Georgia,
es you know, is state where the rain
| fall rs abundant, varying from 46 to so
inches. even running higher L believe in
some limited areas. 1t would be difficult
| to say, therefore, how well the velvet
| bean will do under semi-arid conditions.
| Possibly if you secured a good stand
| AMI il grew enough to shade the ground,
IL would give a fairly good account Of
itself. Much. of course depends on
whether you have the 2S inches of rain
| fall about which you write at the right
| time. If it is distributed during the
/
| probably do very well. From our obser-
walton and experience with it, we consid-
/ err IL a crop which requires a considera-
BILE amount of rainfall, though it seems
to stand drought periods quite we'll in
this state which seldom last over four
to eight weeks.
| NOTES ON THE MERITS OF LIME.
| ]. W. G. Ruskin, Ga. writes What is the
difference between commercial Saked lime
and agricultural limeI
| II 100 pounds of raw lime rock be
ground up il would produce what is
known as ground limestone, sometimes
called agricultural lime. If 100 pounds
Of the same rock were burned in a kiln
there would be secured about ffty-six
pounds of calcium oxide. II this were
allowed 20 stand exposed to the air for
awhile 1t would take up water and be-
come what is known as calcium hydrox-
ide." If standing for a longer period
of time it would take up carbondioxlde
from the air and again become a calcium
! carbonate.
| A commercial slaked lime will prob
ably be of somewhat uncertain proper
tion owing to the series of changes It
has undergone since 1t was originally
burned. This is due to the fact that
air-slaked lime is formed slowly through
the absorption OF moisture and carbo-
hydrates from the air. We think these
two materials could be used for agri-
cultural purposes to very good advan-
tage. Commercial slaked lime might
possibly be a little more active in the
effect ii would exert on vegetable mat
ter for the reasons cited above. Much
depends on how the commercial slaked
lime has been handled and the length Of
time it has stood exposed to atmospheric
conditions since 1t was originally
burned.
You need not hesitate to use either
one Of these materials for agricultural
purposes. Presumably you desire to ap-
ply them under legumes. For the average
legume a ton per acre would be about
the right amount to use.
COMBINING CONCENTRATES FOR
DAIRY COWS.
W. N. c., Culverton, Ca, writes: Owing
70 the high price OF cotton seed meal l
| have thought of using corn meal and cotton
seed meal in equal parts for feeding dairy
cattle. Do you think this advisable from an
economic and cream-producing standpoint?
There is no objection to using a COM
bination of equal parts of corn meal
| and cotton seed meal for feeding dairy
cows. We seldom feed more than one
third corn or bran here at the college
! because cotton seed meal Is relatively a
much cheaper protein providing food
| than bran or corn. Protein, of course,
| is the essential element in the ration of
dairy cows. Hence, II is desirable as
rule to use that food stun as a con-
oentrate which provides this element at
the lowest cost.
1t is of course desirable TO vary a
ration of cotton seed meal by the addi-
ton OF some other concentrate from
time to time and In the south we would
probably find corn, bran and oats the
best food stuffs to use. If you have a
considerable amount Of corn on hand,
therefore, and feel that you can afford
to use 1t in the manner indicated, there
will be no objection to your feeding a
ration prepared as you have suggested
We feel quite sure II will give you ex-
cellent results with dairy COWS. We
advise that you feed it by measure or
weight and weigh the milk so that you
can determine when you are feeding the
maximum amount from which you may
hope to secure a profitable return. Yor
understand Of course that the concen-
trated ration for dairy cows should be
varied according to the milk flow and
lactation period.
= Mahn.4n. Measure