74 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



corn when stored in the silo as compared with the product of an equal 

 area when husked, ground and the stalks shredded, or left in large shocks 

 in the field until needed. The experiment has been written up and will 

 be published as the next bulletin in the series. The silage showed up well, 

 but gave no greater yield of beef in the same length of feeding period than 

 did the ground corn and the shredded stalks. It was found that the 

 animals did not consume the silage as rapidly, proportionately, as they 

 did the shredded stalks ; when the latter were consumed, therefore, there 

 remained on hand something over a ton of silage. In a comparison of 

 beet pulp with corn silage it appeared that the pulp was worth approxi- 

 mately half as much as the silage, ton for ton. A still later experiment 

 showed that silage gave a good account of itself as a food wherewith to 

 finish fattening steers. 



It is proposed to duplicate this experiment the coming year and to add 

 to the live stock work by continuing the cooperation with sugar factories 

 and prominent farmers in the feeding of sheep and fat cattle. Last 

 winter there were fed under the supervision of the Director and by an 

 employe of the Station three hundred sheep near the Lansing Sugar 

 Factory to test the value of pulp as a food for fattening lambs. It is pro- 

 posed that during the coming season experiments shall be undertaken 

 at this location and elsewhere not only to test the value of pulp but also 

 of some of the legumes, especially cow peas and soja beans as stock foods. 

 These experiments cost the Station little, and their results will be of value 

 alike to the people of the State who read the bulletins and to the farmers 

 in the immediate neighborhood of the tests who will watch the progress 

 of the trials. 



As soon as sufficient funds have accumulated in the treasury of the 

 Experiment Station it seems especially desirable that a former experi- 

 ment reported in Bulletin 166 be repeated. Dairymen are slow to 

 appreciate the results of good feeding and care on a herd of ordinary cows. 

 The work at the Station with record-breakers, and even with the general 

 herd is deprecated because it is assumed that the College deals with extra- 

 ordinary animals only. We have demonstrated once what can be done 

 with a herd picked up at random. There is a strong call for a repetition 

 of that work. 



The Superintendent of the Upper Peninsula Experiment Station has 

 presented a report of what has been accomplished there during the year. 

 The rains have been almost continuous and while the yields of most crops 

 have been satisfactory it has been found practically impossible to gather 

 the cereals. The root crops have been phenomenal in yield, especially 

 potatoes. The work of clearing progresses slowly, but the house and barn 

 have been kept in good repair and certain additions, much needed, have 

 been made. The season of 1902 weas early in beginning but frosts early 

 in June have practically destroyed the fruit. 



The South Haven Station now has fruit orchards in full bearing. The 

 long-looked-for results in the comparison of varieties of stone fruits and 

 apples are now forthcoming. Certain scale insects have made their appear- 

 ance in or about these orchards, affording opportunity for study and the 

 discovery of methods of fighting them. 



Through the institutes, the mailing list keeps on increasing. This is 

 true notwithstanding the exercise of considerable care in pruning, drop- 



