206 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Mixed grass and clover, following the next year after oats, 

 having been sown wnth them, have taught a striking object 

 lesson. The grass, like the oats, gives most decisive increase 

 after application of nitrate of soda; l)ut the clover follows 

 the potash. Wherever that has been a[)plied, the proportion 

 of clover is much larger than elsewhere, and its vigor of 

 o:rowth strikingly greater. The liberal use of potash I think 

 solves the prolilem of growing clover ; and when it is remem- 

 bered that this plant is one of our most efficient nitrogen 

 gatherers, drawing this — the most costly constituent of fer- 

 tilizers, largely from the air, the importance of acting upon 

 this knowledge becomes sufficientlv evident. 



The testing of varieties of crops new to this section has 

 occupied consideralde time. The chief varieties under trial 

 have been three midets, — two of them new species to this 

 locality ; several varieties of Japanese beans ; Japanese rad- 

 ishes, of two varieties ; as well as several varieties of hemp 

 and flax, wheat, oats and corn. 



The millets promise to be valuable fodder crops ; two of 

 the species this year have given yields of about twelve tons 

 of ffreen fodder to the acre. A part of these has been fed 

 green, with very satisftictory results, and several tons of 

 each have been put into the silo. 



Of the beans, several varieties of the species commonly 

 known as the soja bean prove well adapted to our climate. 

 They ripen their seed with as great certainty as corn, and 

 may prove of use as grain crops. These beans arc the 

 richest known vegetal)le food, and nvc readily ground into 

 meal. 



We have tried a number of difl'erent experiments in feed- 

 ing milch cows, with a view to comparing diflerent food 

 stuffs. In one experiment we fed forty pounds of mangolds, 

 in comparison with thirty i)ounds of corn silage, finding the 

 latter to considerably excel the former, giving larger yields 

 of both milk and cream, and causing a gain in flesh. 



Another experiment was for the purpose of comparing 

 millet meal with corn meal, — equal quantities of each. The 

 millet meal gave slightly more milk, but the two seem nearly 

 equal in value. 



Still another was for the comparison of millet straw and 



