152 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



phosphoric acid, measured by their crop-producing powers, 

 was as follows: 1, phosphatic slag; 2, South Carolina 

 floats; 3, dissolved bone-black ; 4, Mona guano; 5, Florida 

 phosphate. The experiment is now being continued for 

 another four years, without the further application of phos- 

 phates, in order to see how much of the phosphoric acid 

 from each of the five different sources will be available for 

 the growing crops. The results are not yet at hand. 



To those interested in animal nutrition a concise state- 

 ment of some of the results obtained will doubtless prove of 

 interest. A series of feeding experiments with milch cows 

 was instituted, in order to ascertain the comparative values 

 of hay, corn stover, corn fodder (plant and ears), corn 

 ensilage, sugar beets and carrots. It was found that corn 

 ensilage and corn fodder produced pound for pound of 

 dry matter a larger yield of milk at less cost than did a 

 good quality of hay. Corn stover showed a feeding value 

 approaching an average quality of hay, and should be prop- 

 erly cured and judiciously fed. Both sugar beets and 

 carrots produced, per pound of dry matter, more milk than 

 any of the above-mentioned coarse fodders, but at an in- 

 creased cost per quart. In these experiments grain feeds 

 rich in protein supplemented the coarse fodders. The ex- 

 periments teach that hay, with a market value of fifteen dol- 

 lars or more per ton, is too costly an article to be fed in 

 large quantities by the majority of farmers, and that its 

 place should be taken by corn ensilage and corn stover. 



Many experiments have been tried with green crops, both 

 for summer soiling and for ensilage. Yetch and oats, peas 

 and oats, millet, and fodder corn have proved especially 

 valuable and economical for summer feeding. For ensilage, 

 medium green or black soja bean or Southern cow-pea have 

 been found excellent for mixing with corn or millet, in the 

 proportion of one part of the beans to two parts of the corn. 

 The advantage of these leguminous crops lies in the fact 

 that they increase the amount of protein or nitrogenous 

 matter, and thereby lessen the necessity of feeding so much 

 highly nitrogenous grain. 



The large number of concentrated by-products that are 



