228 SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



reports agree first in regard to the productiveness of 

 the plants, and second in regard to the ability of the 

 same to grow on light lands not possessed of high 

 fertility. They also agree in speaking of the little 

 relish which live stock manifest for prickly comfrey 

 when it is first fed to them. But they do not agree 

 as to its value for soiling uses. When fed to live 

 stock at the Ontario agricultural college farm, the 

 live stock did not manifest any fondness for it. 

 Some other experiment stations have reported simi- 

 larly. It may be that domestic animals may be edu- 

 cated to eat it, so that ultimately they will manifest 

 a fondness for it. Were it otherwise there would 

 seem to be no good reasons for growing it to the 

 considerable extent to which it is grown in several 

 of the countries of Europe. 



Prickly comfrey is a large leaved plant which 

 grows to the hight of three or four feet. The 

 leaves are long and narrow, and mucilaginous in 

 character. The leaves only are eaten. Enormous 

 crops can be grown. This plant is propagated by 

 means of the roots and in about the same manner as 

 rhubarb, that is to say, pie plant. The roots are 

 fleshy, something like dock roots, and they go down 

 to a considerable distance into the soil. 



This plant is not likely to be grown as a soiling 

 food, at least to any great extent, on the arable soils 

 of the northern and central states, where other and 

 better soiling plants are or may be grown so numer- 

 ously. It may be different however in the southern 

 states where cultivated grasses of the better yielding 

 varieties grow but shyly. A plant that has rendered 

 service in providing soiling food even in England 



