Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 511 



Cotton-seed Cake for Cows. 



A correspondent stated that lie and several of his neighbors have 

 discontinued the use of cotton-seed cake as feed for cows, under the 

 impression that it prevents pregnancy, and possibly causes abortion. 

 If they are wrong they would like to stand corrected, as the cake has 

 been proved in their experience of value in increasing the flow of milk. 



Mr. F. D. Curtis — There has been a general prejudice against the 

 use of cotton-seed meal. I think this arose from the fact that when 

 first introduced it was not decorticated ; that is, the skin of the seed 

 was not separated from the meat of the kernel, and the little tufts 

 of cotton fiber adhering to the seed were also ground up in the 

 meal. In this state it is not digestible and should not be fed, 

 but when decGrtieated there is nothing in the nature of the sub- 

 stance, as the analysis shows, to produce abortion or prevent concep- 

 tion. "With the cotton and hulls in the meal it would produce con- 

 stipation and fever, and the troubles alluded to by our correspondent 

 would naturally follow. Clear cotton-seed meal contains of. dry mat- 

 ter, 8.90 ; mineral matter, 8 ; phosphate, 7 ; potash, 3.12 ; nitrogen, 

 6.50. It is highly commended to produce a flow of milk and for fat- 

 tening. It should be mixed with lighter feed, like bran, and fed in 

 limited quantities. Uncleaned it contains about eight per cent of 

 husk and cotton, enough to do considerable mischief with the diges- 

 tive organs. All condensed food should be used with care and mixed 

 with coarser. 



Tapping and Plugging Maple Teees. 



Mr. R. P. Wakemant, Southport, Conn., asked if it injures a 

 maple tree to tap it once with a half-inch auger, provided the hole is 

 plugged. 



Mr. A. S. Fuller — Of course it hurts any tree to bore a hole or in 

 any other manner to wound the stem. But the extent of the injury 

 may be so slight as to be scarcely perceptible. Maple trees of large 

 size may be tapped for many years in succession without killing them. 

 In this connection I may mention that a recently recorded experi- 

 ment seems to prove that the use of a very small bit brings as much 

 sap as the old practice of using big augers. It is worth while for 

 sugar-makers to test the matter further. 



Chestnut and Fruit Trees. 

 Mr. J. D. Lyman, Exeter, N. H., inquired " whether or not a lone 

 chestnut tree ever produces nuts ?" 



