94 



EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS. 



64 VICTORIA. A. 1901 



Cost of Produrtion. 



'Rent, i acre, at $3 per acre $1 50 



Cultivating in autumn 80 



Ploughing in spring 1 00 



Harrowing twice 20 



Rolling , 10 



Manure, i of 7i tons, at $1 per ton 1 50 



Seed, 10 cents, and seeding, $1.70 1 80 



Hoeing, 1 day 125 



Total yield. 18,125 pounds. Cost of producing 1 ton, 90 cents. 



$8 15 



One ton contains about 190 pounds digestible dry matter. Cost of producing 100 

 pounds digestible dry matter is 47 cents. 



THE JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE (Helianthus tuherosus.) 



A plant that is attracting some attention as yielding a plentiful supply of suc- 

 culent and apparently rather nutritious food for pigs is the Jerusalem artichoke. Its 

 value would, however, appear to be lessened by the great length of time required to 

 mature the tubers or even produce them in any considerable bulk at thp ba-^e of a 

 plant. 



A plot one sixteenth of an acre (10 square rods) in area was sown May 19, with 

 about 70 pounds of tubers. Thej' were planted 4 inches deep, in rows 24 inches apart 

 and in hills about 20 inches apart in the rows. They required but little cultivation, 

 as they soon grew so dense as to kill all other or less vigorous forms of plant life. 

 The growth of the plant for about three months was confined to the stem, leaves and 

 roots alone, no appreciable development of tubers being observable. In September 

 young tubers made their appearance and slowly developed. 



On October 3 only small tubers about the size of hen's eggs were found on dig- 

 ging, although the plants had made a most luxuriant growth, standing 10 to 13 feet 

 high, and about 50 per cent of them being in flower. 



Although the tubers were immature, it was decided in view of the lateness of the 

 date to turn the pigs in at once. Accordingly on the above mentioned date six cross- 

 bred pigs were turned free in the lot. They were allowed 1^ pounds of meal each per 

 diem in addition to the artichokes, which they rooted out most industriously and ate 

 most greedily. I have never seen pigs eat anything with more gusto. 



The following table will give some idea of the progress made by this lot of pigs 

 while on artichokes and so of the value of artichokes as a supplementary food for 

 pigs : — 



The daily averase of 1 '57 pounds is remarkable in pigs of such live weights, but 

 becomes still more worthy of consideration when we remember +he small amount of 

 grain ^^^. f«^r dicui. 



