278 
Annual Report of the 
break down, and then I cease to cultivate. Then it has little ears 
on it, and it will all get eaten up at once, and it don't hurt cattle a 
bit to get a few ears of corn. I like that very much better than 
sowing it broadcast, for if that grows thick it will fall down in the 
heavy storms. 
Question. Have you experimented with the sugar-beets as con¬ 
nected with the dairy business? I mean in regard to the use of 
sugar-beets for cows and other farm stock. I have tried them and 
have thought there was nothing that afforded more profit in pro¬ 
portion to the amount of labor invested in their production, either 
in regard to the treatment of hogs, cattle, or sheep, and particular¬ 
ly milch cows. I make the inquiry in order to elicit attention in that 
direction. 
Answer. I never tried it personally, but I have seen it tried with 
the very best results. But here is a difficulty with raising root- 
crops. Unless our land is so situated that we can irrigate, we can¬ 
not raise roots with success. But we can always raise some corn¬ 
stalks. But when we can raise roots, sugar-beets are very benefi¬ 
cial indeed. They are valuable if we can get them. 
Mr. Anderson. I think there is a small portion of every farm 
on which you can raise sugar beets. One acre will raise an im¬ 
mense quantity planted about twenty-seven inches apart. For a 
number of years I have raised them on a piece of low, rich, black 
soil. I sub-soil it down as deep as I can, probably about fifteen 
inches. I never manured it, but it is close to my barnyard, and in 
that way it is immensely rich. I raised corn on it one year sixteen 
feet high. I can make more milk from beets than anything else. 
[ have seen a statement of eighty-two tons of mangles-wurtzels per 
acre. I think that is immense. About every farmer can raise sugar 
beets, if he gets good soil. Beets should not be planted too deep, 
or the land, when it rains, will cover them up when small. 
Mr. Porter. So far as the cultivation of our crops is concerned 
we all have our own ideas about it, and each man will follow his 
own ideas. There is one thing connected with stock raising of 
every description that we all have to consult, and it is upon that 
I wish to ask the gentleman from Jefferson with reference to 
what he knows about keeping cows and hiring help to look after 
those cows. It is not eveiybody that has good boys to do all the 
work, and if we have to look to hired help, I think the very best 
