68 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



of that which constitutes success is possible only when accom- 

 panied by good to high farming. The ordinary 160-acre 

 farm in this section cuts but a ton of hay per acre on some 

 30 acres, and requires 5 or more acres of pasture land, in- 

 fested with Aveeds and bushes as they are, to carry a steer, 

 and this by hard work on the i)art of the steer. 



The food if of low (juality, and, in total, home-grown 

 supply, Avill not carry more than a dozen animals. Slow 

 growth and heavy cost of attendance per animal fed elim- 

 inate all hope of true profit. To care for 12 steers at $1.25 

 per day involves a cost per steer for care of 10y2 cents per 

 day, or $10.51 for 100 days, — a ftital cost. Triple the 

 number and this cost becomes but one-third its former 

 amount. To compete successfully with the west there nmst 

 ever be in view the acre product of beef. To make it as 

 great here as there imposes the necessity of a modern tillage 

 rotation in which the rank growing annuals occupy a con- 

 spicuous place. These give variety and great acre produc- 

 tion of food. Unless the soiling system, which I do not 

 deem desirable, is adopted our pastures must be completely 

 made over. It is not possible to make beef successfully on 

 average New England pastures for reasons that will appear 

 further on. They must be rotated with the fields, and made 

 fertile and luxuriant, carrying well a steer to the acre, and 

 good for 2 or more pounds gain daily for five months, or 

 when not tillable cleared of bushes and weeds and treated 

 with chemicals. 



A 1,000-pound steer, according to German investigations, 

 contains but 23.18 pounds of nitrogen, 16.52 pounds of 

 phosphoric acid and 1.84 pounds of potash. If such a steer 

 grows 300 pounds in a season he will take but 6.9 pounds 

 of nitrogen, 4.8 pounds of phosphoric acid and .54 of a 

 pound of potash from the soil. These amounts can be sup- 

 plied in 44 pounds of nitrate of soda, 30 pounds of acid 

 phosphate and 1 pound of potash salts. Nature, however, 

 by rains for nitrogen and soil solution for the potash and 

 phosphoric acid annually supplies a part of these materials. 

 After fertility has been raised by liberal applications of 

 chemicals the annual or periodic supply may be light. As 



