November, 1908.] 



431 



Edible Products. 



mained prostrate on the ground almost 

 to the end of the stem until late in the 

 season. Only a portion of the plot svas 

 mowed, the remainder allowed to mature 

 its seed and the seed allowed to drop on 

 the ground. Fearing that the plant 

 would be exterminated by the winter 

 freeze, as the stems were all on the 

 surface of the ground, a turn plough was 

 used in bedding the rows, covering the 

 stems to a depth of about two inches, 

 so as to protect a lot of them from the 

 freezes during winter. 



During the winter of 1907-8 the plants 

 were almost completely exterminated, 

 notwithstanding this protection. In 

 the early spring a few straggling plants 

 came out from the stems that had lived 

 through the winter, and a moderately 

 good stand was secured later from 

 germinating seed. The grass has not 

 grown quite as vigorously during 1908 as 

 it did in 1907, notwithstanding the ex- 

 cessive rainfall that we had this summer. 

 The erect stems and the standing 

 portion of the prostrate stems have 

 reached a height of two and a half feet 

 at the present time, and I judge would 

 make about a ton and a half of hay to 

 the acre if harvested. I do not think it 

 would have made more hay than this at 

 any time last year. 



The stems are very coarse and woody, 

 and, consequently, difficult to cure. We 

 have saved samples of this hay both 

 years, and, while not having a sufficient 

 quantity to make a feeding test of it. to 

 all appearances it is a poor quality of 

 hay. I present herewith analysis of a 

 recent sample made in this laboratory 

 by Mr. J. E. Halligan :— 



Protein 1'41 

 Carbohydrates, 13'38 

 Water, 73 50 

 Pat. 0-61 

 Fibre, 8"62 

 Ash, 2-48 



Dry basis— Water free. 

 Protein, 5-33 

 Carbohydrates, 50'49 

 Ash, 9-38 

 Fat, 2 '29 

 Fibre, 32-53. 



It will be seen that this hay contains 

 less than half as much protein as Les- 

 pedeza, and only a .slightly higher 

 carbohydrate content. The fibre is 

 rather high. It contains two-thirds as 

 much protein as Johnson hay and about 

 four per cent, more carbohydrate. 



As the plant is grown here it would be 

 difficult to harvest as hay. The stems 

 running; on the ground, taking root at 

 every joint, would make it difficult to 

 rake the hay without pulling up a lot 

 of the green stems that would be mixed 

 with the harvested hay, which, of 

 course, would be undesirable. 



As the results of two years ' observa- 

 tions, it is my opinion that this grass 



has absolutely nothing to recommend it 

 to the planters of Louisiana as a hay 

 crop to be planted on soils or ordinary 

 drainage. _ We have not yet experi- 

 mented with it long enough to tell of 

 its worth in wet places or in lands sub- 

 ject to overflows. During the month of 

 May we transplanted a quantity of the 

 grass to the margins of a small bayou 

 that runs through the pasture at the 

 Experiment Station, and this planting 

 was just becoming established when the 

 high water came and the pasture was 

 submerged for a period of about six 

 weeks. After the water subsided the 

 grass was still liviug, but of course had 

 not grown any during the period of 

 submergence. While Professor Tracy 

 thinks that the grass has given satis- 

 faction as a grazing grass in Texas, and 

 says that it will withstand tramping of 

 the animals that are graziug on it, I do 

 not believe that " would hold good in 

 Louisiana. 



The expressions in the papers of 

 apprehension regarding this grass be- 

 coming a pest comparable to Johnson 

 grass may be well founded for the 

 extreme southern portion of the State, 

 but not for the latitude of Baton Rouge 

 or further north. I am confident that 

 the average winter at Baton Rouge will 

 exterminate the grass if it is not pro- 

 tected in some way, either by ploughing 

 or by the warmer atmosphere adjacent 

 to a body of water. — Louisiana Planter 

 and Sugar Manufacturer, Vol. XLL, 

 No. 9, August, 1908. 



[This is the Mauritius or water grass of 

 Ceylon— Panicum Muticum — the stand- 

 by of stall-fed animals (especially milch 

 cows) in the low country. It is, of 

 course, quite unsuitable for hay, but as 

 a succulent food for animals getting a 

 nitrogenous cake it has its value. — 

 U. Dbleberg.] 



THE TAX ON CITRATE. 



On several occasions we have men- 

 tioned the Italian Government Bill pro- 

 moted to protect the Sicilian lemon- 

 industry by the imposition of an export 

 tax on citrate of lime and concentrated 

 lemon-juice, and we reported a fort- 

 night ago that the Bill had passed. It 

 appears to be a hasty and ill-advised 

 piece of legislation, which has been pre- 

 sented without a full study of the facts, 

 and was rushed through Parliament 

 during the last few days of the Session. 

 In some quarters it is regarded as a 

 political move in order to appease the 

 Sicilian voters ; while others say t that 

 pressure has been put on the Government 



