160 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



USING THE ROLLER OX GRAIN'. 



The use of the roller upon a field of srrain after the .crain is well up f^ives ex- 

 cellent results in cases where the surface is lumpy and dry. The reason lies 

 largely in the fact that in crushing the lumps a dry earth mulch is developed to 

 lessen the evaporation while the packing of the soil may have the effect of improv- 

 ing capillarity below. 



TO BRIXG MOISTURE NEARER THE SURFACE. 



It sometimes happens that because of the looseness of the soil, water is not 

 brought up sufficiently rapidly into the seed bed, or it may be that the evaporation 

 from the surface is so rapid that the moisture from below cannot move upward 

 rapidly enough to balance these evaporation losses. The result in either case is 

 an insufficient amount of moisture in the upper soil. 



1. A well developed mulch would reduce the evaporation losses, and since 

 water moves more rapidly through moist soil than through dry, the tendency 

 would be to accelerate the upward movement of moisture and in time to accumu- 

 late an abundance of it in the upper soil. 



2. Rolling the land would compact the soil and thus increase the upward 

 movement of moisture from below. The roller should be followed by some mellow- 

 ing tool to develop a surface mulch and thus to lessen surface evaporation. 



3. Had this soil received good dressings of manure, and the same been well 

 incorporated in the soil, its presence would have had the effect both to gather 

 moisture from below and to prevent its loss by evaporation. 



DRIED BEET PULP AND DRIED MOLASSES-BEET-PULP FOR 



FATTENING SHEEP. 



BY B. S. SHAW. 



Bulletin No. 220. 



Two years ago dried beet pulp was placed on sale in large quantities in various 

 Michigan markets. One year later dried molasses-beet-pulp was also offered 

 for sale to stock feeders. The wide distribution of these materials and the large 

 quantities used have created a demand for information concerning their feeding 

 value for various classes of animals. 



The objects of these experiments have therefore been as follows, viz.: 



(1.) To determine the feeding value of dried beet pulp compared with corn. 



(2.) To determine the feeding value of dried beet pulp when used in conjunc- 

 tion with grain rations. 



(3.) To determine the relative feeding values of dried beet pulp and dried 

 molasses-beet-pulp. 



Two of a series of tests have been completed. In the 1902 and 1903 tests, dried 

 beet pulp only was used; in the 1903 and 1904 tests, both kinds of pulp were used. 



The following is a detailed description of the tests of 1903 and 1904. 



THE ANIMALS USED. 



On December 18th, 1903, ninety western lambs were purchased in Chicago, 

 averaging 61.1 lbs., at a cost of $4.60 per cwt. When delivered at the Michigan 

 Agricultural College, on December 20th, these lambs averaged 58.8 lbs., having 



