SOILING AND SOILING CROPS. ^^ 



The yield of crops under this system is about as fol- 

 lows : of rye, eiglit tons green ; of sweet corn, early kind, 

 eight to twelve tons green, two and one-half to three dry; 

 of Evergreen sweet corn twenty-four tons green, five to 

 six dry; of oats and peas, eight tons green, three dry; 

 of millet, eight tons green, three dry; of orchard 

 grass, three tons of hay; of clover, ten tons green, 

 two and one-half tons of hay, and more in favorable 

 years, the second growth giving at least one-half as much 

 as the first crop. Mangels yield 800 to 1,200 bushels per 

 acre as the season may be favorable, and sugar beets — 

 Lane's Imperial, which is a large growing kind — yielding 

 600 to 1,000 bushels. The French sugar beet is ex- 

 tremely sweet, but is small, and yields only 300 to 400 

 bushels to the acre ; it is consequently not profitable. 



In the Southern States, soiling can be carried on with 

 the greatest profit. There are several crops which may 

 be grown that are not suitable for the North. Pearl 

 millet, teosinte, cow peas, millet (this thrives especially 

 well), Bermuda grass (this affords the very best summer 

 pasture, and, if fertilized, yields an enormous quantity of 

 feed); Festuca j^ratensis (Meadow Fescue, Eandall grass 

 or Evergreen grass) grows luxuriantly and makes the 

 best pasture ; rye may often be pastured all the winter ; 

 the native wild grasses. Crab grass {Eleusina Inclica), 

 Finger grass {Panicum sanguinaU), Barnyard or Door- 

 yard grass (Panicum crus-galU), sprouting Crab grass 

 [Paniciwi j^roliferum), Texas millet, Panicum Texacum, 

 and the common — far too common — beggars' ticks {Bi- 

 dens frondosa)y and the — also too common — beggars' lice 

 {Desmodium 7noUe),a\l furnish a most abundant pasturage. 

 The large amount of woods pasturage, containing much 

 grass of various kinds and a wealth of leaves of young tim- 

 ber, more nutritive than any grass or forage plants, also 

 affords excellent subsistence for a large part of the early 

 portion of the year; while for winter feeding, with hay and 



