310 l^UREAU OF FaKMERS' I^'bTITUTES. 



the oats are far superior to corn of equal quantity; the nutritive 

 ratio being, when sown in that mixture, a little over one to five, 

 and when the coarse food is timothy hay, it makes a ration for 

 work or driving horses as near perfect as can be. Occasionally a 

 horse of a loose bowel temperament will be a little too much re- 

 laxed for road work, but ten horses are constipated where one 

 is too loose. The peas can therefore be added with advantage 

 in nine cases out of ten. The straw also from an oat and pea 

 grain crop I consider equal to average timothy hay, if cut when 

 the oat is in the dough state and the straw green. In cutting hay 

 always cut before the oat gets to the dough state, just coming 

 into the milk; harvest just as hay is cut, namely, with a mowing 

 machine and rake up the same as hay, then all will be eaten 

 without mussing over to get the heads of the oat when cut and 

 cured in that way. The nutritive ratio is about one to eight when 

 sown one-third peas and two-thirds oats, and all animals relish the 

 hay and thrive upon it with but little grain of any kind. While 

 I do not claim that oat and pea hay will equal fine early cut 

 mixed grass hay, in my experience it comes the nearest to it of 

 anything that can be raised on our farms. In a case of emergency 

 or where there is likely to be a shortage in fodder, I have suc- 

 ceeded better in sowing clover or mixed grass seeds with early 

 sown oats and peas than with oats alone, or with other spring 

 crops. In conclusion I will say, sow oaits and peas for a grain 

 crop; sow oats and peas for hay when needed; sow oats and peas 

 to cut green during drouth if you have no summer silo, and if it 

 is sheep you are feeding in the barn, oats and peas are preferable 

 to ensilage; then sow lots of clover to feed with your oats and pea 

 straw that you raise for grain. The clover will enrich the soil 

 so that more oats and peas can be raised, to raise more live-stock; 

 produce more milk; more fat lambs; more wool; more good colts; 

 that the farmers may have more money, have better homes and a 

 whole lot of better things. 



BEANS. 



Have you ever dragged your beans? 



Mr. Watson. — I have never harrowed them, but have used the 

 weeder. 



