142 



DESCRIPTION OF FEEDING STUFFS 



Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus). This hardy 

 perennial is grown for the sake of its tubers, which resemble potatoes 

 in composition and are used as a human food, and also as a feed for 

 hogs and horses. The large leaves and stems, which may be cut 

 off about two feet from the ground when the plants are five 

 or six feet high, make an excellent green feed for sheep, goats, 

 young cattle, and even milch cows, according to European authori- 

 ties. If cut at this time, the yield of tubers does not appear to be 

 appreciably affected. 11 The Massachusetts station 12 reports a yield 

 of 8.2 tons of artichoke tubers per acre. The tubers may be har- 

 vested in the same way as potatoes, or may be rooted up by hogs 

 turned into the field. As artichokes can withstand severe periods of 

 drought, they may be worthy of a trial by farmers in the north- 

 western States, but a word of caution is in order in regard to this 

 as well as other relatively unknown crops ; their importance is often 

 greatly exaggerated in the agricultural press. 



Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) are grown for the sake of their 

 thickened stems and roots, which are used both as a human food 

 and for stock feeding. They are grown on the islands of Jersey 

 and Guernsey as a dairy feed, but only to a very limited extent 

 in this country. The yield obtained is small, and it is, moreover, 

 difficult to harvest the crop, as the roots grow entirely in the ground. 

 Its use for stock feeding is, therefore, not likely to be extended 

 much beyond its present confines. The following table shows the 

 chemical composition of leaves, stems, and tubers of artichokes, of 

 parsnips, and of potatoes, for the sake of comparison : 



Composition of Artichokes and Parsnips Compared with Potatoes, in Per Cent 



Chufa (Cyperus esculentus) is a southern perennial sedge that pro- 

 duces an abundance of small, underground tubers. The crop is generally har- 

 vested by hogs that are turned into the field as the tubers ripen in October or 

 November. Chufas are a noxious weed on low, damp places on southern 

 farms. They grow best on light, sandy soils, where they give an average 



11 Pott, " Landw. Futtermittel," part i, p. 196. 



12 Report 10. 



