454 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



apparent profit one realizes when he compares it with the $101.12 re- 

 turn on rape, the basis of figuring being identical. 



That soy beans are excelled by bluegrass was brought out in 1912. 

 Although the pigs were fed on bluegrass after coming off the soy beans 

 (at a time when their gains should really have cost more, conditions 

 remaining unchanged) they still make cheaper gains than they had in 

 their younger days on soy beans, is convincing as to the demerits of 

 soy beans and merits of bluegrass. We had two soy bean fields this year 

 (1912) the hogs on one receiving a full and the other only a half feed 

 of corn. The field giving the best returns, or namely the one in which 

 the hogs had been full fed is the one given for your consideration. That 

 these fifty shoats should make more rapid and cheaper gains in dry lot 

 (the average of their performance before going on and after coming off 

 soy beans) than when in the beans is not necessarily a commendation of 

 dry lot feeding but rather a condemnation of soy bean pasturage. 



These striking adverse showings of soy beans and cowpeas in central 

 Iowa are not to be interpreted as expressive of results in the southern 

 states. In the south both soy beans and cowpeas do relatively better 

 than they do with us above the forty-first parallel, and furthermore, the 

 crops we have here do not do so well in the south, which means that 

 conditions are entirely changed. The use of soy beans and cowpeas in the 

 south is not to be discouraged but we must remember that competition 

 with peanuts and Lespedeza or Bermuda grass in the south is not so keen 

 as competition with bluegrass and alfalfa and red clover and rape in the 

 north. Then again, in many sections of the south cowpeas and soy beans 

 are available as green feed, furnishing both forage and grain (grain in the 

 cowpeas and soy beans is relatively more valuable in the south than in 

 Iowa because of relatively higher values of other grain concentrates), early 

 in the summer season when there are practically no competitive green 

 crop rivals; this is the period, usually between winter crops, such as 

 rape, and the late summer crop peanuts. When the southern farmer 

 learns to grow permanent alfalfa successfully, these emergency "grain 

 and forage producing legumes" will have some lively competition. 



Col. H. S. Allen, Russell, Iowa, gave the following paper on the 

 subject, "Private Sales." 



PRIVATE SALES. 



H. S. ALLEN. 



Brother Breeders and Gentlemen: One of the first essentials of success- 

 ful private sales is delivering the goods advertised or described in the 

 correspondence. Another thing that should always be observed is to have 

 your animals in good condition, and when ready to ship, see that they are 

 well cleaned, free from lice, and put in a clean substantial crate. In de- 

 scribing the animal, do so in a cloar business way telling your corre- 

 spondent the bad i)oints as well as the good. When you get an inquiry 

 answer the letter by return mail if possible. Make an effort to find out 

 what type your correspondent wants. If you have it send it to him. 

 If not, frankly tell him so. 



