N(i. C. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 349 



experienced, and you do uoL neeesBurily lose animals. 1 lia\'P lost 

 on!}' one in all my feeding, and that was a cow fed on first class, dry 

 alfalfa bay; fed in the barn, went down to the spring and drank and 

 was dead in ten minutes. But there is no such thing as i>reparing 

 alfalfa in such a way that it is not dangerous to feed, whether to 

 sheep or cattle, and the only thing is to keep watch, and if they do 

 bloat give something to bring it down. We finally settled on am- 

 monia as producing the best results for reducing the bloat. Keep a 

 little bottle of ammonia in the stable and on any signs of bloat we 

 give it at once, and in that way we feed year after year, and have 

 lost no cattle. But I want to insist on the fact that there is no 

 wa^' of feeding, or cutting it, no way of curing it, which will put 

 it in such condition that it is not liable at any time and A\ith any 

 stock to produce hoven. 



A Member: Feed the cows all they will eat until 4 or 5 o'clock 

 at night. Cut it sometime before you are going to feed it, and give 

 it in a wilted condition, and it will not be so apt to bloat. 



A Member: I would like Professor Cooke to tell us the amount 

 of ammonia to give an animal. 



PROF. COOKE: The ordinary household ammonia reduced to 

 about one-fourth the strength, and then give about half a pint of 

 that; giving it in a bottle, forcing it down the cow's mouth. 



A Member: I put in that question for the reason that I was in- 

 formed it was a dangerous food in that respect. I put out some al- 

 falfa, and if this is the case we want to go slow in its use. 



PROF. COOKE : It is first rate for hogs. Either sheep or cattle 

 can be fed safely and the feeding of green alfalfa in the barn is 

 almost as dangerous as to pasture, although the chances are that 

 you can feed right along without danger; but always keep in mind 

 that you are dealing with a risky material. 



MR. BLYHOLDER: The next question is: 



"^When and how to sow the clover on grain stubble so as to keep 

 up the usual rotation?" 



DR. THAYER: I possibly don't quite grasp what is meant by 

 the usual rotation, but I suppose to follow wheat with corn, and 

 in that case crimson clover can be sown on the stubble during the 

 last of May or from that on and corn planted the next year. The 

 natural time for crimson clover is right after harvest, and it don't 

 interfere with any rotation if followed by corn or potatoes. Of 

 course we would not follow with oats or wheat. 



A Member: When would he plant his corn if he sows the crimson 

 clover in Mav? 



