I7O SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



Three of these combinations stand higher in favor 

 than the others. I, A combination of peas and oats ; 

 2, a combination of vetches and oats ; and 3, a com- 

 bination of wheat and oats. The last named 

 combination is frequently grown where peas or 

 vetches cannot be relied upon to furnish soiling 

 food. 



Several advantages arise from growing these 

 plants in combination, i, Usually there is a greater 

 production of food from a given area. 2, They 

 can be grown more thickly, hence the straw is finer 

 and is better relished by stock. 3, They furnish 

 a better balanced food than when grown alone. 



The green food produced by these mixed crops 

 can be fed to all classes of live stock, but it has 

 relatively higher adaptation for dairy cattle, be- 

 cause of the free milk giving that results from feed- 

 ing it. Mixed crops may be fed to sheep and swine, 

 but only when in a quite succulent stage of growth, 

 or when it is almost entirely composed of peas or 

 vetches. Wheat, oats, barley and rye become so 

 woody when well advanced in growth, that sheep and 

 swine do not relish them. It is more common to 

 pasture both on these mixtures than to feed them 

 in the form of soiling food. 



The yields will of course vary with the con- 

 ditions. The minimum crop that it would be profit- 

 able to grow may be fixed at, say, six tons per acre. 

 A good crop should run from ten to twelve tons per 

 acre. But it is sometimes possible to double these 

 amounts. 



'Distribution. Wheat, oats, barley and rye 

 possess a wide distribution. The distribution of 



