No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 231 



MR. HUTCHISON: Well, the cattle don't like it. 



QUESTION: After it has passed a certain stage, as I understand, 

 it is positively dangerous to feed it. 



PROF. OWENS: Yes. 



QUESTION: I would like to ask a question in reference to sun- 

 flower seeds. How do sunflower seeds compare in feeding value with 

 cottonseed? 



PROF. OWENS: They have an abundance of fat, and also con- 

 siderable protein, but I could not give you the comparison with cot- 

 tonseed. 



PROF. MASSEY: We had a perfect epidemic in North Carolina 

 of scours in horses and it was traced to that very thing, the feed- 

 ing of damaged, mouldy corn, and mouldy feed of any sort is likely 

 to produce that effect. 



PROF. OWENS: Of course in the case of any feed that is spoiled, 

 mouldy hay or corn or anything, it should be avoided, because that 

 is not a proper food; it has passed the condition when it is a proper 

 food for the animal to eat, and if you use it you always run the risk 

 of bringing on disease of one kind or another by using that kind of 

 food. 



The CHAIR: The time has arrived when we should take up the 

 next subject. Now allow me to repeat what I said in the morning; 

 Prof. Massey who will address you, his hearing is somewhat de- 

 fective, and he has asked that those of you who wish to ask him 

 questions, will please write your questions upon these query slips. 



I now take pleasure in introducing to you Prof. Massey the editor 

 of ''The Practical Farmer." His subject is ''Soil Improvement." 



PROFESSOR MASSEY: Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: 

 I thank you for the welcome to Pennsylvania. There was a time 

 when we men wearing the gray clothes were welcomed rather 

 warmly by the burning of powder, and they were rather careless 

 in the use of their guns. 



I would rather look my audience in the face and talk to them, 

 but in this case, in order to keep myself in line, I have prepared a 

 paper and I shall ask your indulgence while I read it, as the sub- 

 ject is one of recognized importance, and I want to say what I have 

 to say as concisely as possible. 



The paper of Prof. Massey is as follows: 



THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE SOIL AND THE MAINTENANCE 



OF FERTILITY. 



By PROF. W. F. MASSEY, Editor, "Practical Farmer," Phiiadelpliia. 



There is no more important problem for the farmer in the older 

 sections of the country than the improvement of the productive 



