The Question Box. 123 



Mr. Witter. — Probably the best crop which can be grown, is 

 alfalfa. It is very rich in protein, having a ratio of 1 to 3.5. 



Mr. Smith. — Prof. Yoorhees of the New Jersey Experiment 

 Station, produced $107 worth of protein in alfalfa on one acre 

 of ground, taking wheat bran as a basis. 



Mr. Witter. — We have found alfalfa along the Lake Ontario 

 region. I know nothing about the soja beans. 



Question. — How about cow peas? 



Mr. Smith. — We have grown them on the Geneva Station farm, 

 but they were mixed with com and put into the silo. 



Question. — Will Mr. Smith tell us about varieties of cow peas? 

 For what are they valuable? 



Answer. — • They are very valuable as a catch crop for building 

 up a depleted soil. They are practically a bean and one must be 

 careful with them. We grew them last year at the Geneva Station 

 and put them into the silo with corn. They balance up the corn 

 well. 



Question. — Does any one present know that wheat will turn 

 to chess under certain conditions? 



Mr. Smith. — There is a standing offer of $50 for a plant of 

 wheat which has changed to chess, and the award has never yet 

 been claimed. 



Quite a discussion ensued on this question, some farmers claim- 

 ing that they knew in their own experience that a crop of chess 

 had come from a seeding of wheat. 



Question. — What do you think of oats for feeding, especially 

 for fattening old animals ? 



Dr. Smead. — I think they are a grand good food, and I am 

 going to say, that within the next five years more of them will 

 be fed. To-dav, only the trottin^-horse men seem to know their 

 value. As to fattening, they should be fed in connection with. 

 corn so as to create lean meat, which will make a nice juicy 

 steak, which corn alone will not produce. At a Chicago stock 

 show, the steers that won highest prizes were found to have been 

 fattened on oats and corn. It will pay to grind the oats, however, 

 for such feeding. 



Question. — - How about cow peas; what are they good for \ 

 Mr. Gould. — They are a remarkably good crop to plow under to 

 grow another crop on. I tried them as a green crop, but some- 

 how, my cows did not like them. When I was in Georgia, 

 I saw the cows there eating them all right, and the farmers told 

 me I did not " stick to 'em " lone: enough or mine would. 



