1901.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 



53 



The above results show that purslane takes large quanti- 

 ties of water, nitrogen and potash from the land, and must 

 be considered a great soil exhauster. 



Pluml)* has fed purslane to pigs with quite satisfactory 

 results. If dairy animals can be induced to eat it, it would 

 quite naturally increase the flow of milk, because of its high 

 protein content. Whether it would produce any undesirable 

 flavor in the milk, has not been ol)scrvcd. 



It being a most objectionable weed where clean cultivation 

 is desired, growing and spreading with wonderful rapidity, 

 and being at the same time a large consumer of plant food, 

 it Avould hardly be considered a desirable fodder crop on 

 most farms. Whether it has any special ability to dissolve 

 and utilize ordinarily insoluble plant food, has never been 

 determined. 



Purslane has been frequently used in many sections as a 

 pot herb, being cooked in a similar way to spinach, etc. It 

 is thus highly esteemed by many. 



F. — PARSONS' "SIX DOLLAR" FEED. 



The station frequently receives letters requesting informa- 

 tion relative to the value of this material. We think Mr. 

 Parsons himself quite fairly states in his circular what this 

 feed is. He says : " It is composed principally of the hulls 

 of diflerent kinds of grains and other low-grade stuff from 

 grain mills and elevators." A sample lot was procured for 

 us by an outside party. In appearance it seemed to consist 

 of the chaff of different grains. It analyzed as follows : — 



* Bulletin, 82, Indiana Experiment Station. 



