62 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



the natural resources of the soil and of the air may be turned 

 to account, as far as practicable, to their full extent. On 

 the other hand, each single article of fodder needs supple- 

 menting with reference to the particular wants of the various 

 kinds, ages and functions of the animals kept on the farm, 

 in the interest of the highest remunerative return. 



Some fodder crops prosper on one kind of soil, others 

 upon another. To procure the largest amount of valuable 

 vegetable matter at the lowest expense is, then, only pos- 

 sible when perfectly safe crops, as far as climate and soil are 

 concerned, are selected. It is the ultimate object of pre- 

 vious and present statements made under the heading of 

 this chapter, to assist in selecting, for local trials, suitable 

 fodder plants of well established reputation in other sections 

 of our country, as well as of Europe. (See Second Re- 

 port, pp. 89-100.) 



Horse Bean [Vicia Faha. L.). — Some of the character- 

 istics of this valuable plant have been described in the last 

 annual report (pages 97-100). The analyses of the matured 

 plant — straw and beans — were published on that occasion. 

 During the past season their fitness for a mixed fodder with 

 barley and oats, has been tested, and also their application 

 as a green manure. 



The field, .98 of an acre in size, which had been occupied 

 during the past years by a variety of leguminous plants and 

 some roots, was ploughed April 21st, and manured with a 

 mixture of steamed ground bones and muriate of potash, at 

 the rate of six hundred pounds of the former and two hun- 

 dred pounds of the latter per acre. The fertilizer was 

 applied broadcast and incorporated by the harrow. 



The field was subsequently subdivided into two equal 

 parts, .49 of an acre each in size. One part served for the 

 production of a mixed crop of horse bean and oats, and the 

 other for that of horse bean and barley. The crops result- 

 ing were to be cut at blooming, and were destined to serve 

 as a fodder constituent in future feeding experiments. 



Horse Bean and Oats. — Two bushels of oats and twenty- 

 four quarts of horse beans were sown broadcast, April 25th, 

 and harrowed under. Both seeds came up quite evenly and 

 began blooming about June 12th, or within from forty-five 

 to fifty days from the day of seeding. 



