284 MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



carob pod that yielded 43.57 per cent sugar and 15.22 per cent protein ; 

 but allowing only an 8 per cent of protein and 45 per cent sugar and 

 we have the following most interesting and remarkable series of com- 

 parisons. 



COMPARISONS. 



Wheat is a rich ration, running higher than the carob, pound for 

 pound, but to equal 5 tons per acre of carob pods, wheat must yield 

 three tons of grain to the acre, which is out of the question. 



Alfalfa is a splendid feeding product, and stores up nitrogen in the 

 soil while producing the hay. Compared with the carob at 45 per cent 

 sugar and 8 per cent protein, the ground must produce 5 tons per acre, 

 and that on rocky, hilly places, without irrigation and without culti- 

 vation. Besides, the carob is one of those trees whose rootlets store up 

 nitrogen in the soil. 



We Californians feed quantities of barley, both as a grain ration and 

 as hay, and to make a crop we require good soil, good seasonal condi- 

 tions, and when threshed, to equal five tons of carob pods, each acre 

 must yield 3| tons of sweet, dry, first-class barley. 



Bean straw is carefully husbanded, baled and housed, and sold at a 

 price that brings good returns ; but to equal 5 tons of carob pods each 

 acre must yield 6 tons of bean straw. 



It requires 30 tons of carrots to provide the same elements found 

 in 5 tons of carob pods. Corn and cob ground requires 3 tons to the 

 acre to equal the product of an acre of carobs. Com meal must weigh 

 2^ tons to equal in food product 5 tons of carobs. 



Oats are found to be a great ration for milch cows, but if the crop 

 is to keep pace with carobs, there must be delivered at the sacking 

 shoot three tons of grain per acre or of good clean oat hay the land 

 must yield four tons. 



Men pay good prices for beet tops to sugar factory people, but to 

 equal the acreage of the carob each acre of beets must furnish 38 tons 

 of tops. It is difficult to realize the economic importance of such a 

 product. It requires 3^ tons of cottonseed meal to equal the acre 

 product of carobs. For human food, it is richer than cow's milk, pound 

 for pound. 



FEEDING. 



Horses, cattle, sheep and hogs take readily to the pods, and turkeys 

 soon learn to fly into the tree, tear off the pods, break them and eat 

 them. Chickens will readily feed on the pods when broken up. The 

 Arabs feed the pods to their fine horses. The carob is the main forage 

 for the English cavalry horses in Malta and for the tram horses in 

 Naples^ while it is a common sight to see the London cabby give his 

 horse a feed of the brown pods while waiting for a customer. The 

 island of Cyprus grows large quantities of this forage and it consti- 

 tutes its largest export. 



The carob is a splendid avenue tree and hundreds of California 

 farmers could add very materially to their forage supply by planting 

 these trees where shade and ornamental trees are desired. 



