HISTORY OF THE SECOND YEAR’S WORK. 25 
forage plants were secured, as of the cowpeas, velvet beans, teosinte, 
sorghums, and alfalfas. It was determined to experiment with them 
and also with pearl millet and the common peanut vines with the view 
to ascertaining whether they could be baled and in that way preserved in 
good condition for feeding purposes. When the cowpeas were nearly 
in full bloom, and before they began to turn yellow, the vines were 
cut and carefully cured as for hay. Velvet-bean vines, with pods on 
them, but in a very immature state, were also cut, cured, and stacked. 
Some of the smaller teosinte stalks, which had survived the drought, 
were also cut, cured, and placed in shocks. Several varieties of sor- 
ghums were cut and cured when the stalks were tender and the 
heads in the ‘“‘dough” state, and bundles of alfalfa:and pearl millet 
were also prepared for baling. During the season all of these stuffs 
were baled and the bales packed away under a shed to await develop- 
ments. After several months a bale of each of the stuffs was opened 
and examined, and in every case the hay was found to be as sweet as 
when first baled. 
It is recommended that the stockmen and farmers of central Texas 
and of the Southwest generally test the value of this method of pre- 
serving the coarser forage grown on their own ranches and farms. 
EXHIBITS AT FAIRS. 
In the autumn of 1899 a collection of bales of hay grown on the sta- 
tion, including some of the baled forage plants a. ove mentioned, was 
sent to the Division of Agrostology, Washington, D. C., where they 
were included in the general exhibit sent by the Department of Agri- 
culture to the Paris Exposition of 1900. The Agrostologist stated 
that they made a very interesting and valuable part of the Govern- 
ment exhibit. Duplicates of the collection, with the addition of a few 
bales of grasses grown in the Abilene country, but not on the station 
grounds, were made up into an exhibit and turned over to the man- 
agers of the district fair held in Abilene in October, 1900. The dis- 
play attracted much favorable attention from the large number of 
stockmen and farmers present, many of whom were led to take an 
interest in the later station work. 
SUMMARY. 
At the end of the second year’s station work the foregoing facts 
were reported to the Agrostologist with a general estimate as to the 
results secured. Inthe report it was asserted that notwithstanding the 
adverse conditions under which they had been conducted, many of the 
experiments made during the year had yielded results of substantial 
value. They had demonstrated the availability of the alfalfas, sulla, 
sanfoin, the vetches, several varieties of cowpeas, velvet bean, soy 
