248 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and suoressfully as any other crop or mixture if properly handled. Tt is 

 es])ec-ially valuable as a soiling croj) for dairy cows because of the fact 

 that it fills in a gap between the possible use of green clover and green 

 corn. We have also found it highly satisfactory for young calves being 

 housed during the heat of the summer. Though the first attemj)t was 

 to use this mixture as a forage cro]) for swine it has not proved to be so 

 valuable for that pur])ose as was expected. (By forage crops we mean 

 those grazed oft' and by soiling crojis those cut while green, hauled off 

 the land and fed elsewhere.) \Yhen the succotash was grazed off by 

 swine the losses were heavy from the tramj)ling and wallowing of the 

 animals, in fact so much so that it had to be hurdled off giving them 

 access to but a limited area every few days and this is a somewhat ex- 

 pensive and troublesome method. (See illustration on cover.) When cut, 

 hauled and fed in the hog lots or pens there was little or no loss. When 

 the rape and clover plants were bitten off close to the ground by hogs 

 many of them failed to grow again; when cut higher with a scythe they 

 did not fail to grow. Sufcotash may be objected to for the dairy cow 

 because of the large amount of water it contains, but it nevertheless 

 furnishes the succulence so necessary to supplement her ration while on 

 dry and exhausted pastures. This food was used for the college dairy 

 herd during the season of 1005 between the time the silage was exhausted 

 and green corn became available. The composition of succotash does 

 not vary greatly from that of green corn in the earlier stages, when 

 used for soiling pur])oses. The question naturally arises, would it not 

 be better practice to su]»plement the failing pastures with silage rather 

 than succotash? We should answer yes, providing one has the silage, 

 but at the present time all dairymen are not y)ossessed of silos and most 

 of those in use are generally emi)ty long before midsummer. Should 

 succotash be grown for such emergencies and not needed it can be cut 

 and cured for hay when the oats are in the milk or dough stage. The 

 small amount of rape in the first cutting has not tainted the milk so far 

 as used. 



The second growth of rape and clover must needs be less of a cer- 

 tainty than the first crop of the original mixture, as favorable condi- 

 tions for growth usually diminish as the season advances, owing to 

 greater heat and lack of moisture. A lodged crop cannot remain in 

 that condition long without injuring the clover and rape; for their 

 benefit the croj) should be cut as quickly as possible. If succotash is 

 grown to any great extent for soiling purposes it should be sown at two 

 or three different dates, the first late in April or early in May, the others 

 following at intervals of ten days or two weeks. From the different 

 dates of seeding some one or more of the lots is almost sure to produce 

 a second growth suited for sheep or swine pasture and probably for 

 some other classes of live stock also. The ability to secure a crop of 

 clover on the same ground the next season, for pasture or soiling, is at 

 present uncertain but is well worth trying for. 



CONDITIONS SUITED TO THE GROWTH OF SUCCOTASH. 



The ground upon which this crop is grown must be rich. We do not 

 believe large tonnages can be secured from poor land except in unusual 

 seasons when the rainfall is large and favorably distributed. It is not 



