302 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



The alfalfa meal has a better effect on the cow's system than the 

 wheat bran, the droppings look like those out on pasture. I am very 

 much pleased with the alfalfa meal. It cost me more than the wheat 

 bran, but it has just stimulated me to make another effort. I do not 

 propose to give it up; but it braced me up in my determination to raise 

 alfalfa in Illinois. Our alfalfa came out all right on rolling ground. You 

 have good pasture in Missouri. Your rainfall is about forty inches, while 

 ours in Illinois is only thirty-two and you have the advantage of us 

 there. 



SOILING. 



As to the question of soiling, I do not know that I shall say much, 

 but I will tell you of my experience. I find as a help to short pastures, 

 or if from any other cause I want to feed my cows in the summer, peas 

 and oats make a palatable and a profitable feed, because cows are fond 

 of oats and fond of the peas and especially after the peas have gotten firm 

 in the pods, in the condition that we would shell them in the house, and 

 I can hold up a flow of milk nicely with peas. I carry about 500 tons of 

 silage and feed it when we are short on pasture. I can afford to feed it. 

 As a business proposition, we cannot afford to have much pasture with 

 us in Northern Illinois. We are pasturing a good deal more than we 

 can afford to. There is no question about that. Many of us came and 

 located when the land was cheap, old residents like myself, when land was 

 worth ten dollars an acre, which is now worth $100 to $125 ; but we are 

 farming too much as we did when our land was only worth $10 to $15 

 per acre, but we have gotten in the ruts from a business standpoint and 

 we must change our methods. A few enterprising farmers are keeping 

 abreast of the times, but too many are not. 



DISCUSSION — OATS AND PEAS. 



Mr. Haecker — Oats and peas are all right but they last only a short 

 time, how about that? 



Mr. Gurler — We put in a succession of the peas. We disc the ground 

 first and then sow the peas and go over the ground with a drag once. 

 We sow the peas four inches deep. After we drag the ground, we let it 

 lie until the peas are pretty well up and then we go on and sow the oats 

 and drag them. 



Mr. What variety do you use? 



Mr. Gurley — Canadian field peas. 



Mr. Haecker — How far apart do you sow the peas and oats ? 



Mr. Gurley — A week, not over ten days. 



