Minnesota STavTe HorricuttTvraL Sociery. 45 
Mr. Miller. I found from the Sorgho Journal, that it is unneces- 
sary to strip the cane. I cut off the tops but do not strip. Would 
not give a man ten cents a day to strip. The cane handles better 
and the leaves protect it from the sun. They also assist in keeping 
off the dirt when it is beaten up by rain. sHave not been troubled 
by broken and dried leaves with my mill, which is the Victor, 
made by the same firm as Cook’s Evaporator. 
Mr. Kenney. I use a mill made at Madison and will get another 
of the same kind. Used the Victor one season and then sold it. 
Mr. Miller. Have used a mill with a choker but shall throw it 
aside. The leaves are better than Timothy hay, but the labor of 
stripping at that season is too great. The crushed stalks and leaves 
go into the yard to cattle, horses, sheep and hogs, which like them 
very much, 
Mr. Kenney. I strip and cock the leaves to cure, and they can 
be stacked in a couple of weeks. Have had the fodder in February. 
I manage so that two men and a boy strip for 140 to 170 gallons 
per day. 
The Secretary. What is the best time and depth to plant? 
Mr. Miller. Plant as early as you can—before corn-planting— 
say the first week in May. 
Mr. Kenney. It is advantageous to plant in succession. I[ 
planted 120 rods, June Ist, on new timber land, and obtained 118 
gallons of syrup; this was stripped on the hill, cut and allowed to 
lie three days in the sun. 
Mr. Miller. There is no danger of the seed rotting in the ground 
if it is planted early, It can be depended upon for a crop of seed. 
The seed can be fed to all domestic animals. It can be ground and 
fed to hens, It is extra feed for them. Hogs fatten on it and 
horses and cattle eat it. It gives from 20 to 25 bushels seed per 
acre. 
Sprouting the Seed. 
The Secretary. Is it advisable to start or sprout the seed before 
planting, and if so in what manner? 
Mr. Miller, I have never been favorable to sprouting since I 
tried it. I planted the seed dry and with sprouts one-fourth of an 
inch long and could see no difference in the growth or results. 
Mr. Kenney. I have also planted the seed sprouted and not 
sprouted and could see no difference. 
Mr. Harris. I found thirty years ago that there was no ad-° 
vantage in sprouting seeds. 
Mr. Elliot. My experience has been the same, 
