174 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE ©ff. ©•c. 



FIRST DxVY.— Afternoon Session. 



DISCUSSION OF MR. PATTERSON'S PAPER. 



York, Pa., December 4, 1901. 



Q. When barley is substituted for wheat, what is the yield of pro- 

 tein? 



A. Estimating upon a basis of 40 bushels, more protein can be ob- 

 tained from 40 bushels of barley than 25 bushels of wheat. 



I think the difficulty in producing crimson clover iisi that in some 

 localities the corn is laid earlier than is our custom farther south. 

 This brings the seed time of the clover earlier and the plant gets 

 started about the time of a dr^^ spell of weather. In our section we 

 seed about the first week in September. We just break the ground 

 and then seed. It is exceptional when we do not get a stand of crim- 

 son clover. The essential element is keeping up the fertility of our 

 land. 



Q. How are we to select the corn which gives a higher percentage 

 of protein than the average of 8.5? 



A. A representative grain taken from the ear will, on cross and 

 longitudinal sections, have exposed the starch and protein layers. 

 There is a great difference between these two layer®, and from this 

 examination j-ou get an idea of the relative proportion of the two. 

 Of course the corn that has the larger proportion of protein will be 

 that which will give the highest success. 



One of our friends has brought in some mixture of corn and cow 

 pea silage. Our plan at the Maryland Station is to put in a load of 

 cow peas and one of corn, so that each will mature at about the same 

 time; or, the whole silo can be made of corn. 



Q. Can an ensilage be made from cow peas as cheaply as from 

 corn? 



A. Not quite, per ton. 



Q. About what time do you cut the cow peas? 



A. For both hay and silage purposes we cut the cow peas when the 

 most advanced pods have commenced to ripen. One of the prob- 

 lems upon which we are working is to secure a cow pea that will 

 mature its crop at nearly, or the same time. 



Q. Is the Wonderful cow pea, the brown, as good as the Black? 



A. It depends upon what you want to use it for. It is not as rich, 

 from the fact that it don't produce in the same time as many pods 

 •r as much grain; it requires a longer season than most of the blacks. 



