741 



stems. In tiijils at tlic station in Carlsruhe, Baden, the tubers were 

 ]»laiit('(l in rows the last of Maicli, and rii»one(l tlio last of November. 

 The yicl<l ran<;cd from 3, '_'()(► to ."y"**)!) pounds of tubers per acre. The 

 tubers were left in the ground and removed during" moderate weather 

 as wanted. They were not injured by frost. In taste the tubers are 

 said to resemble potatoes, asparagus, or chestnuts, according to the way 

 they are prepared. They are most commonly cooked and eaten like 

 potatoes. Early in March the tubers commenced to sprout, so that it 

 was uecessary to harvest them. Both on a<;count of the low yield as 

 com])ared with ]»otiitoes, and their peculiar taste, stachys cau not be 

 expected to tind such universal and common use as the iJotato, but it 

 is regarded as a vegetable of nuich promise. 



The coin])ositi()n of the tubers is given by Strohmer and Stift {Oestcr- 

 iniyar. Zeitnch .J. Zuclcr-Ind .u. Land ic .^2i)^\).^(Yi; abs.in Chem. CeutralbL, 

 1892, part i, p. 398) as follows : 



Composition of iuhers of Stacliys tuherifera. 



Of 100 j)aTts of nitrogen in the tubers there were present in the 

 form of — 



Per cent. 



Albniiiiiioids 19. 01 



Nuclein 8. 13 



Ammouia 7. 84 



Per cent. 



Amido acid amides 42. 96 



Amido acid 16. 26 



Uiidetermiued 5. 80 



The nutritive value of stachyose is said to be practically the same 

 as that of other carbohydrates, but it is easily soluble in water and is 

 therefore more easily digested than the insoluble starch of potatoes. 

 The tubers also contain more protein compounds than potatoes. 



Feeding grade steers of different breeds, T. Shaw and C. A. 

 Zavitz {Ontario Atjr. College E.ri}t. station Bid. Xo. 70y December 1, 1891, 

 pp. 10). — The objects of this experiment were (1) to determine the aver- 

 age cost of raising grade steers for beef " when fed on a heavy or forc- 

 ing ration"; (2) to compare the effect of whole milk vs. skim milk on 

 the cost while they were fed and on future development; and (3) to 

 compare the cost of producing beef from grade and from native animals. 

 Eight animals were used, one native and one each of the following 

 grades: Galloway, Aberdeen Polled, Hereford, Devon, Holstein, and 

 two grade Shorthorns. At the commencement of the trial the Galloway 



