eeu Dees

SNe

EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS NOW
OFF OF) ey

| PUBLISHED BY CORNELL UNIVERSITY.
FOR SALE BY ANDRUS & CHURCH,

ITHACA, N. Y.
1887.

Cornell University.

; \ %
The number of Courses of Instruction given the present

The

The

The

For

The

year at Cornell University exceeds four hundred.

Technical Courses lead to degrees in Agriculture, Archi-
tecture, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engi-
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Non-Technical Courses lead to degrees in Arts, in Phil-
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the work is prescribed during the Freshman year, and
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Composition, and in the Senior year, without exception,
the work is elective.

University makes exclusive use of ten Buildings, twelve
Laboratories, and ten Museums. Its Library now con-
sists of more than 62,000 volumes, and the list of Scien-

tific‘and Literary journals taken numbers more than

four hundred.

advanced work with Seniors and Graduates, the Semi-
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Corps of Instruction consists of Seventy-eight Profes-
sors, Lecturers, and Instructors.

Thirty-six University Scholarships at $200 each, and Fight

Fellowships of $400 each are given.

Tuition to those holding State Scholarships, as well as to

students in Agriculture, and to all Graduate students,
is free ; to all others it is $75 a year.

Examinations for Admission are held June 15th and Sep-

For
For

tember 15th, 1887.
more detailed information see pages 3 and 4 of cover.

the University Register containing special information,

- address

E. L. WILLIAMS, Treasurer,
| ITHACA,N. Y.

\/
v

SO RSV br UNIVER STE y.

ieee ee ips CL q n L C LX LL L n Cie
il

Sey ie Ss

PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE.

PAPERS REPRINTED FROM THE AGRICUL TURAL
EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS NOW
OUT OF PRINT.

Snincl f
Cis 5 ves)

PUBLISHED BY CORNELL UNIVERSITY.
FOR SALE BY ANDRUS & CHURCH,
ITHACA, N. Y.

1887.

ae ence a Oa oe

The Agricultural Experiment Station at Cornell Univer-
sity was established in 1879. Since that date, reports of
experiments carried on at the Station have from time to
time been published. Those reports, being out of print, are
not now accessible to the public. The frequent requests
that come to the University have led to the belief that a real
service would be rendered to the cause of practical agricult-
ure by a republication of some of the papers that seemed to
be of most general and practical importance. By reason of
this belief, the following papers are now offered to the larger
agricultural public.

C. K. ADAMS.
Cornell University, Dec. 10, 1886.

CO NOTE Nels

PAGE.

I. Cost and value of stable manure......_........ R

Quantity and value of manure of milch cows_--. 10

i, Silage for young cattle 12-25... 32 sskwe wee Sons 13

III. Changes in the milk, with changes in the ration, 14
IV. Productive effect of the same ration with differ-

ent breeds of cows <.22..2- 2228s ~ sees ed 16

V. Gain of steers on a fattening ration..-..------- 18

VI. Effect of a maintenance ration.._._...-------- 20

VII. Field experiments with crops......--.-------- 23

VIII. Self-fertilization of corn .....-..._-----.----- 26

IX. Miscellaneous analyses of fertilizing material... 28

X. Experiments on various fertilizers on Indian corn, 29

XI. The influence of the ration on the composition of
TNC Taree te ees = Foe eke 35
XII. Pleuro-pneumonia,..........__- ey eee oe 43
XU. Field experiments with various crops....------ 76
XIV. Experiments in cattle feeding..............--- 95

XV. The relative proportion of nutrients in the tops

ov,

and butts OL .corm-stalks se Jo eee oe 106
Malt sprouts compared with grain, and ensilage
compared with dry feed for milch cows._.- 107

SE UDLES

IN

ERACTICAL AGRICULTURE,

I.

EXPERIMENTS ON THE COST AND VALUE OF STABLE
MANURE,

By Prof. I. P. ROBERTS.

(Analyses by Mr. F. E. Furry and Mr. A. M. Breed.)

I. The Value of Well-preserved Home-made Manure.

Wuen the University farm was taken in charge by the
present Professor of Agriculture it was found to have been
much exhausted by continuous cropping, with insufficient
manuring. Commercial fertilizers were applied, with poor
success in producing remunerative crops. Hauling manure
from the village in the valley, four hundred feet below the
site of the farm, proved to be little more satisfactory, on
taking into account both its cost when delivered on the farm,
and its poor quality. On turning attention to the supply
made at home it was found to have been poorly cared for,
and badly wasted on leaky floors, in large uncovered yards,
or in overheated and fire-fanged piles. To prevent such
waste, which subsequent experience proved to be much
greater than was at first imagined, a large covered yard was
built, and with such satisfactory results that we have long
since ceased to buy manures of any kind; we find that we

=a

can produce large quantities on the farm, worth three or
four times as much per ton as that which was formerly
bought in the village.

Vor two successive seasons an attempt has been made to
determine the value of this stock of home-made manure, in
the same manner and on the same basis as that by which the
valuation of a sample of a commercial fertilizer is estimated.
The accumulated layer of mixed manure of cattle and horses
was at the end of the first season about two feet thick, and
packed quite solid by the tramping of the cattle over it. A
large number of samples of about ten pounds each were
taken at the depth of about a foot, chopped up and most
carefully mixed together, and a sample of this mixture was
analyzed, with the following results :

IMOISRURG i222 tae oe enc at ete en Yast ner etenacgeeae wesc 72.95 per cent.
ON IUCO REM seae eee acts eeriseee neene ease heeds wei 0.78 a
PHOSDNOLIO BOG ec exon. eaetewees na eon ben daee eee 0.4 &e
IPERS Soe canes onal outites emda sae = ee ieee a ate 0.84 i

Allowing for the nitrogen a commercial value of 15 cents
a pound, for the phosphoric acid 7 cents, and for the potash
4.25 cents, we have the following estimate of the value of a
ton of the manure:

Nitrogen .-...-..<..- 2 seis stoi citehelee ate ate ae 0.78 2000 15 $2.34
IP NOSDNOING AGi< cds sadeaeus cases <ase 0.4 2000 i -56
IROLHELL cnictweticte nan s-eencmee ee sae Pease es 0.84 2000 4.25 aT

ROT cin nmeeeeee ota ce= sete esas eee aoe ee $3.61

Of this manure 311 loads were produced in the course of
the season ; about every tenth load was weighed, and the
average weight was estimated to be very nearly 8,000 Ibs.
Hence the total quantity produced was at least 466 tons,
which at $3.61 per ton would have a trade value of very
nearly $1,682 ; that is to say, it would have cost this sum to
have purchased the same quantity of nitrogen, phosphoric
acid, and potash, of about the same degree of assimilability,
in commercial fertilizers.

The investigations of this season were not fully satisfac-
tory, because all the manure was not weighed, and the num-
ber and kind of animals were not noted from month to
month ; this number was, however, about forty-five.

BG) oe

In the second season, 1884—5, these data were all carefully
taken. In five months, from October 1 to March 1, 199.25
tons of manure were produced by a herd of twelve spring
calves, seven winter calves, one bull, twenty-four cows,
twelve horses, and one colt, making fifty-seven animals in
all: allowing that the twenty young animals would equal
ten adults, we should have the equivalent of forty-seven full-
grown animals.

The manure was sampled in the same manner as described
above, and the analysis was made by Mr. A. M. Breed, a
senior in the Course in Agriculture, with the following

results: ia
IMPOTS UU Ob acc eprcina aio enlace am see mma eas oc oce a seiecas 75.57 per cent.
INANE 230 Re ee ee Seren Sai ie eames 0.68 as
PTOR PHONG ACO se. eee cate esas once anole ae tse 0.29 se
POURS Wepaja\ec ane eece aan acini mee ne ees esiecmie selec 0.7 sf

As less cotton-seed meal was fed this season than last, it
was expected that the manure would not be so rich as then,
and the expectation was confirmed by the results of the
analysis.

The trade value of these three nutrients in a ton of this
manure, computed as before, would be:

INDO O SOT one sists oan ole onins.c.lo mace nrs -aee 0.68 2000 15 $2.04
IE DOSDNOMGIAGIC 2... coat ata a oe eae 0.29 2000 7 -41
POLAS cio oc 21d sacs, 55 lai Sei selec scinie's <n sig a = 0.7 2000 4.25 -60

PIO Gales serrate eae Sierras cere ois daidcfole eo ancts ae eS sate $3 .05

Calling the total quantity of manure produced 200 tons—
as we may without seriously affecting the computation—the
nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash in this year’s product
of manure would cost in the fertilizer market, at current
rates in 1884-5, $610.

In all probability we shall not get returns in crops equal
in value to these estimated values of the stable manure
spread on our fields from our manure yard ; but nevertheless
the land to which this manure has been applied has steadily
increased in fertility, while at the same time producing
crops whose value was more than twice as great as that of
the crops yielded by the same land treated with manure

made in the old style.
2

= 16

From experiments to be mentioned in another part of this
report (p. 12) we have estimated that the manure from a
milch cow was worth sixteen cents per day. Taking this as
a fair sample of the herd, we make the following computa-
tion of the value of the manure of the first season in another
way. As near as can be estimated, 80 tons of straw were
used for bedding, the manure from which is estimated at
$3.50 per ton; hence, for the herd of 45 animals, for 195

days:
45 animals, 195 days, at 16 cents per day..........-..-....---.. $1,404
80 tons of straw, at $3.50 per ton.......-.....-......--+.----)- 280

The result is very close to that obtained by the other
method of computation.

That the quantity of manure obtained in the first year is
not excessively large, as it might seem to be, appears from
the results of a computation by Boussingault. He estimated
that a horse weighing 900 Ibs., and a cow (weight not giv-
en), would produce in a year the following quantities of
liquid and solid manure :

peEAOR HOG, MUITICL genersss Soebtiatedseree poste ee 12,000 ibs.
_ Hii veestent ste cs feeee oy ae aoe oc eee sae cor 8,000) ©
COW ye MIC, sate aged soe Mam ep omee es ele ee ee 20,000 **
bl BOG e scccckbda cd ae eudns 054s eek bons cl aanaeeee eee 8,000 **

On this basis, a computation for six and a half months
would give for twelve horses 48.75 tons, and thirty-three
cattle 250.25 tons. ‘These amounts, together with 80 tons
of bedding, would make a total of 397 tons. The animals
kept on our farm are without doubt above the average in
weight, and would consequently yield a larger quantity of
manure,

Tl, The Quantity und Value of Manure Made by Mileh
Cows.

These experiments were made on March 18, 19, and 20,
1884, with three cows, weighing 1,395, 1,120, and 1,060 Ibs.

—total weight, 3,575 Ibs.; average weight, 1,192 Ibs., very
nearly.

| a

The food consumed in the three days amounted to 122
Ibs. clover hay, 41 Ibs. corn-stalks, 45 Ibs. cotton-seed meal,
42 lbs. corn meal, 42 Ibs. malt sprouts; and 45 lbs. of cut
corn-stalks were used for bedding, making a total of 337 Ibs.

The total weight of manure, including bedding, was 802
Ibs., exceeding the weight of food and bedding by 465 Ibs.
The yield of milk was 285 Ibs. for the three days, or an
average of 312 lbs. per cow and day. Each cow used, in-
cluding bedding, 374 lbs. of hay, meal, ete., per day, and
the product for each cow per day was 895 lbs. of manure
and 312 Ibs. of milk. This would show that each cow drank
834 lbs. of water, at least ; a portion of the water consumed
is exhaled through lungs and skin, and does not therefore
appear in the manure

The market value, at the barn, of the food consumed was
as follows:

122 lbs. clover hay, at $8.00 per ton.......-...-. See eeet $0.49
41 “ corn-stalks, it 42007 SS ee Se ee 08
45. ‘© cotton-seed'meal; 'at26.00 “ © 25. .eccecseesescccn cst 59
42 “ corn meal, BE D600 8 MIMS somes aaskeneew sats 65
42 “ malt sprouts, Btls 00) tO SS ee esate alone ease 29

PP OGL WELIIG oc Stee a eae see eas. 2a n oes So ae oreo BOLO

45 lbs. cut corn-stalks, bedding, at $4.00....-...............- ... .09

$2.09

The composition of this food, computed .from Wolffs

table, was as follows:
Nitrogen. Potash. Phos. Acid.

Pounds. Pounds. Pounds.

12S. GlOVER NAY 2222222 4--20cho8- <2 <4 2.40 2.23 .68
Ale > CORMAN KAeeceres cee = ose -20 .39 22

45 ‘“ cotton-seed meal ..--.....-..-- a270 -66 1.26

42° “© GOIMiMeal.o. =. de c52 eo Ss coe 67 07 aul:

49) © “Malo Sprouts: .-.2222.26%6200 55. 1.65 87 -76

Ao ee SOCOCIN Fe sn.gc2-- 2s een sae e 22 43 -24

7.74 4.65 3.27

Much less bedding than usual was supplied to these ani-
mals, and the manure was correspondingly richer in soluble,
and therefore more valuable, plant food.

Its trade value for manure is estimated as follows:

7.74 lbs. nitrogen, PU AUS oo oeemarese Soe eee eS oo see eee a $1.39
4.65 “ potash, PU OLD ates ee eo cele see eens reel +23
3.27 ‘* phosphoricacid,at .08..........-..-- ee eee ee -26

ERY cake

It appears from the above that the food consumed by the
three cows in three days was worth, as a manure to spread
directly upon the land, $1.88; or, in other words, it would
have cost $1.88 to have purchased the same amount of plant
food in the form of fertilizers.

Numerous experiments in Germany appear to show that
cows in milk take from their food about 20 per cent. of its
manurial value. Deducting this 37 cents from the above, we
have $1.51 as the value of the manure of three cows for
three days, or 16% cents per cow per day.

It will be noticed that the cows selected for this experi-
ment were above the average in weight, and that they were
liberally fed.

As to the question of profit, we have the following ex-
hibit, the milk being reckoned at 24} cents pen pound; that
being its value to the University, in the barn, after it was
drawn from the cow. Ordinarily, however, it is worth but
i4 cents, for the manufacture of butter and cheese.

Cost of keeping 3 cows 3 days ...-.......-....-..---. $2.09
Value of manure produced -<...2.5-- iene en oe $1.51
ee TUS Tn ven nal 6 26a Se wernalsineesenssauenaew an neee 7.13

Balance in favor of proguctsiv....2.-.<s.¢52c.<sae0450 6.55
$8.64 $8.64

At 14 cents per pound for the milk, the balance would
be $4.27.

The cost of the food required to produce a quart of milk
was a trifle less than 14 cents.

The cows had been fed for some time previous to the ex-
periment on virtually the same amount and kind of food as
given above, the only difference being that nothing was
weighed or measured. During the experiment the cows
were kept in their stanchions the entire twenty-four hours ;
whereas, before this they were allowed to exercise most of
the day in a covered yard. The yield of milk of these three
cows for the three days previous to the beginning of the
experiment, when they were allowed the liberty of the coy-
ered yard, was 295% Ibs., or 8 Ibs. more than the yield of
the three days when they were closely confined.

TI,

FEEDING EXPERIMENTS — ENSILAGE FOR YOUNG
CATTLE.

By Pror. I. P. ROBERTS.

Two yearling heifers, one a thoroughbred, the other three-
quarters Holstein, were kept together from fall to January
13. They were of nearly the same age, and looked so nearly
alike in all particulars that it was difficult for a stranger to
distinguish one from the other. They had grown rapidly
during the earlier part of the winter, on hay and a little
meal. The following table shows the weight and dates of
weighing. Dena, the thoroughbred animal, was fed from
January 13 on 10 lbs: of hay, 224 oz. cotton-seed meal, 25
oz. of corn meal, and 9 oz. of bran; Estelle was fed on
ensilage alone, the first week, beginning with January 13,
20 lbs. per day ; the second week, 30 lbs.; after that, 40 lbs.

Date of Weighing. Dena. Estelle.
lbs. lbs.
ANN Stace ss aaa ce seen ee Seka n msec nceaae sine eS ese ke Rete cece e ad 540 645
RA eae ol niet = Sire eisele Mewisiials vs ne oo emciah ab Sine Soh uk warden nae 530 540
SPAN ee nano eee eae ae aoe clement aca Suc e-ocelcomalee dae asic 540 562
OD NB ie 2 escent Ae eee Sent cicteleemeniars kia tam aya cea tao aire 554 580
BRM Oe etre, aetaretal seo Nats shmanratafars oie ere leo eon pores wisn Siarteoes stomps a ke re 500 538
REE cracieeines siataia/eie Safe SSSR ee sean cho as clenioed ss ootmcame senteian 564 564
eS See emai 5 aaysics chore cine ws pombe HS miafaye Seed BS mies ines eo eeroroneee mre 580 570
LTE (OTe age eet REY Oe Ro ee ne ee ee 592 592
Bere Oboe enci= sails sic: nieraicie isiaelaretaic,« Ja /k cnc amie Se we wd clomid sue Groin ciectae 610 612
SOL | berate ae hax Sims a) Ne & case amelie tae ae ee misao araieds ea aoevaate 620 620

From March 17 on, the ration of Estelle was the same as
Dena’s.

GAINS IN WEIGHT.
Dena, January 13 to March 17, 63 days, 40 lbs; January 13 to Mar. 31, 112 Ibs.
Estelle, “ “ss “ “a “a 165 “ec “s a “sc “ 91 “a

en oe

II.

THE EFFECT OF SUDDEN CHANGES IN THE RATION
ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE MILK.

By Pror. I. P. Roperrs.
(Analysis by Mr. FL EB. Furry.)

THest trials were made for the purpose of ascertaining,
if possible, how soon a decided change in the fodder mani-
fests itself in the composition of the milk. Three cows were
included in the experiment, all being fed alike, and their
milk was mixed together before the sample for analysis was
taken.

7 r Dry
DATE. RATION, Supetance:
Jan’y 30] | { 13.01
31] | | 12.97
Bev y ~ J Peay s.s5ac copa de meet ec oto es ‘ ‘12.48
a 2} | | 13.05
“ 4| J { 13.06
oe 5 }
6) | Hay, eusilage, | bu. of roots, 12.48
: 9|$ 6 qts. cotton-seed meal, 6 11.76
Hy il qts. corn meal per ea. sil) 15.04
ay 12 13.6
#68) )) { 13.32
* T4 | 13.37
ae OG) AS: Sewer e rey ees reser er 4 14.54
ss 16 | 13.62
‘45 rf 13.26
19} } 13.61
i 20 12.49
. 21 | Hay, ensilage, 6 qts. cotton- 11.71:
* 992) } seed meal, 6 qts. corn 12.00
95); meal, 1 bushel roots. 8.53
Mareh 4 | | 19,28
dd 5 13.04
i 6 ( 13.20
ay an 13.33
12 | 13.51
— 8 13.31
SS A oe 5 can. eres ba wae ed ose ee 13.28
= ig 13.25
ee 20 13.18
7 25 » 12.52
ne 26) | 12.52 F
April 7 he Jorn-stalks, 12 quarts corn { Ee ;
«gif meal. {| 12/28 3.30 3.07
oe ~ «
és pe aie 8 quarts corn { ae ner pa
; meal ») En rie one
“10 ? t 13.06 3.43 3.13
44 15} Corn-stalks, ensilage. 4 qts. 13.30 3.76 3.84
6 cotton-seed meal, 4 qts. 13.36 3.78 3.37

17 corn meal, 13.34

ae | ee

These figures show no important change in the milk, fol-
lowing immediately on a decided change in the ration ; but
very great differences in composition sometimes appear in
passing from one day to another while the cows are fed on
the same ration—as, for instance, in passing from the 13th
to the 16th of February, or from the 6th to the 12th of
the same month, or from the 19th to the 22d. On the
other hand, the slight changes in composition will be no-
ticed when the very decided changes in ration were made
on March 6 and March 27. The greater uniformity in
respect to the proportion of protein, and the more gradual
changes in the proportion are especially noticeable. Evi-
dently there are disturbing causes independent of the feed,
working sometimes powerfully on the composition of the
milk, and affecting the proportion of dry substance and fat
more than the albuminoids.

While there is nothing specially new or unexpected in
these results, they may serve to strengthen the principle that
in milk feeding experiments a ration should be continued at
least from twelve to twenty days before attempting to study
its effect on the milk, and that even then all the milk of the
last three or four days should be sampled for analysis, or
that it is dangerous to depend on the analysis of the milk of
a single day.

16 =

IV.

A COMPARISON OF THE PRODUCTIVE EFFECT OF THE
SAME RATION WITH DIFFERENT
BREEDS OF COWS.

By Pror. G. C. CALDWELL.

(Analysis by Mr. F. HB. Furry.)

Two lots, of three animals each, were selected, of average
quality, one of which consisted of native stock, the other of
half-breed Holsteins. The make-up and composition of the
ration, the weights of the animals at different periods, and
the yield and composition of the milk are given below. The
weighings were taken once during each of the periods given
in the first column, immediately after having been fed in
the morning and before they were watered. Samples of all
the milkings for the last four days of each fortnight by
period were taken for analysis. The greater productive
effect of the ration when fed to the grade cows is clearly
shown in the yield of milk, its composition, and the weight
of dry substance and fat per cow and day, in the last six
columns of the table. Bat while the native cows maintained
very nearly the same yield to the end of the period, there
was a notable falling off in the case of the grade cows. Of
course a single trial like this does not establish a principle ;
without doubt a herd of native stock, selected with special
reference to their milking qualities, might make a better
showing than a herd of poor grade Holsteins. The results
obtained here are offered only as a contribution to our
knowledge of the subject, so far as it pertains to average
stock, of the breeds tested.!

1 These feeding experiments that follow, suggested by Prof. C., were made
possible only by the kind co-operation of Prof. Roberts.

Sige

The ration consisted of, in pounds per cow and day: hay,
2; ensilage, 40; oat straw, 4; corn-stalks, 2; corn meal, 2;
cotton-seed meal, 4.

It supplied of crude nutrients, in pounds per cow and day:
dry substance, 22.5; protein, 3.2; ether extract, 1.2; carb-
hydrates, 11.3.

It supplied of digestible nutrients, in pounds per cow and
day: protein, 2.8; fat, 1.0; carbhydrates, 11.3. In respect
to this last estimation it must be observed that we have very
few and quite insufticient data upon which to base our cal-
culations in regard to the digestibility of some of the kinds
of fodder used ; that, as usual in such calculations, the por-
tion of the fiber that is digested is allowed to compensate
for the portion of the nitrogen-free extract or carbhydrates
not digestible, the digested part of the fiber being regarded
as genuine carbhydrates, and capable, therefore, of doing
the same work in the animal economy ; but that Tappeiner’s
well-known conclusions, which have been accepted in all
their significance by Weiske, indicate that the digested part
of the fiber does not serve for the production of heat or fat,
as the starch or sugar of the genuine carbhydrates does.
Nevertheless, in order that these results may be compared
with others of a similar character, in which the effects of a
certain amount of digestible nutrients was tested, we have
also followed the same plan.

The digestible nutritive ratio of the ration, expressing the
proportion of protein or flesh-forming substance to the non-
nitrogenous matters not capable of being converted into
flesh or tissue of any kind, was in this ration 1 to 6.1

The first set of results given in the following table refers
to the native cows, the second to the grade Holsteins.

The rations were in all cases practically eaten clean.

1Per cent. carbhydrates + per cent. fat x 2.5
Per cent. protein.

— 6
=f.

RESULTS IN MILK.

eC UoOoOv"'

YIELD. COMPOSITION.
| Pounds per cow
PERIOD. weiaurs, | Average} Per cent. of and tae of
per cow Dry Dry
and day.|S8ubstance. Fat. Substance. Fat.

Dec. 17-26, 3050 21.7

« 27-Jan. 5, 3104 21.7 lost. 3.9 0.84
Jan. 6-15, 3214 19.2
“16-26, 3118 20 12.7 3.8 2.5 0.76
‘© 6 27-Feb. 4, 3144 20.6
Feb. 5-10, 3296 19.9 12.7 3.49 2.5 0.69
se 11-24, 3152 19.6

‘6 25-Mar. 3. 3248 19.8 12.7 3.56 2.5 0.71

RESULTS IN MILK.

YIELD. |’ COMPOSITION,

Pounds per cow
PERIOD, wricuts. |Average| Per cent. of

and day of
per cow Dry Dry a
and day.| Substance. Fat, Substance Fat.
. 17-26, 3380 28.2
27-Jan. 5, 3390 29 14.2 4.53 4,0 1,31
. 6-15, 3492 27
16-26, 3426 27.3 14.2 4.5 3.9 1.23
‘« 27-Feb. 4, 5474 25.9
. 5-10, 3472 27.4 14,2 4.42 3.9 1.21
11-24, 3462 26.6
25-Mar. 3, 3500 26.1 14.8 4,33 a7 1.13
r. 4-18. 25.7

Vy

THE GAIN OF STEERS ON A FATTENING RATION.

By Pror. G. C. CALDWELL.

THESE rations were simply such as were suggested by the
Professor of Agriculture as in accordance with common
practice ; the object of the experiment was to test the fit-
ness of such a ration, made up without any reference to its
chemical composition as a whole, and then to compare its
composition with the German feeding standards, so mach
written about in recent years.

eee oes

Five steers two years old were selected, of nearly the same
weight. Their weights at the beginning of the feeding trial,
December 29, were 1,112, 1,120, 1,066, 1,010, and 1,040
pounds. They had been kept for six weeks on the ration
specified in the first period below. They were weighed on
the dates given in the table, and, as usual, just after eating
their morning meal, and before drinking.

DATE OF WEIGHING AND OF RATION PER STEER TOTAL
CHANGE OF RATION IF ANY. AND Day. WEIGHT.
Wee ects 2c ecese eee Ensilage, 20 Ibs.
ee oe ee ee Corn stalks, 5 Ibs. 5348
oe ge Corn meal, 3 lbs.

1 RE s Ee ee Cotton-seed meal, 5 bs.

AU ERIDS DO) 2 arto ae 2s yarn cj-raavaiare | Ensilage, 20 lbs. 5612
ee ee eee ee ne ae Poor clover hay, 10 Ibs.
eee eh | Corn meal, 3 lbs.

3:8 FES SR eae eae | Cotton-seed meal, 5 Ibs.

WAN OT Gc 2 anos once -..-. | No change. { 5724
IG pte see ee es by 5668
fe arora dies Site te ete ane ¢ ae | 5820
x | be ee ee Cet ee ae 5840
LS 05 0-2 PEGE eg eae eee eerie Ie Hay, 20 lbs. 5858
ee ee ees Corn meal, 4 lbs. 9 oz.
petits hie eae ae eee Cotton-seed meal, 5 lbs.
WIRTGR SS shoes ee cceeeen tie ees No change. 5938
|
March 11 .....-..------------ Hay, 20 lbs. |
Be ee 5.2 Shee aiecd, ak | Corn meal, 6 ibs.
RSA ne nee tae | Cotton-seed meal, 51bs. | 6158
Marehi 072 225-Boc-225425sce- No change. 6098
BEN DAR Oe Bos Seon: Ouse: ss | 6252
et ol I ee as See ee ee eee | st } 6248
|
7.3119 UG eae ee AS! eee | No change. 6256
BO PAGE a 8 oS hen anes eee scia i at 6320

The weights of the five animals were at the close, taken
in the same order as at the beginning, 1,300, 1,524, 1,296,
1,190, and 1,210 pounds.

The total gain was 972 Ibs., or, per day and thousand
pounds live weight, 1.66 pounds.

The following table exhibits the proportion of the several
nutrients, in pounds and fractions thereof, per day and thou-
sand pounds live weight, and the nutritive ratio in the sey-
eral rations given to these steers :

Protein. Fat. Carbhydrates. Nutritive Ratio.

Ration of Dec. 29........ 1.85 0.75 6.94 1:48
ae Jan. 20.......- 2.22 0.85 7.82 1:4.5
ae Ren 242225245. 2.24 0.85 9.03 1:4.9
ia Mar. 1)-<:22% <- 2.23 0.84 9.31 1:5.1

after the maintenance ra- 0.61 Ais 135.7

tion of the 2d lot of steers,
Wolff gives for a fattening ration the following, of digest-
ible nutrients, in Ibs. per day and 1,000 Ibs. live weight :
Protein. Fat. Carbhydrates.

The better ration given
i 1.64

BITAh Ot OWsxstdswecc sc acconcasasceceeaeuss 2.5 0.5 15
BECOUM VESTN ssayescadkiane e's bsecseupiees= o 0.7 14.8
Pinishine Panods =: 22.220. .erasensce Le 2.7 0.6 14.8

Our rations do not agree at all with these, except approx-
imately as to the protein. That aration more in accordance
with Wolff’s might give better results, is indicated by the
gain of 4.4 lbs. per day and 1,000 Ibs. live weight (see 2d
Report of Cornell University Experiment Station) on a ration

_ very nearly like that given by Wolff for the first or begin-

ning period of the fattening.

Vi.
THE EFFECT OF A MAINTENANCE RATION.

By Pror. G. C. CALDWELL.

[vy another feeding trial four animals were put on an ap-
proximate maintenance ration, calculated on the basis of
Wolff’s standards, and from our analyses of the fodder used.

The ration per day and steer consisted of hay, 44 lbs.;
corn-stalks, 13 lbs.; corn meal, 12 lbs.; cotton-seed meal,
9 oz. In the following table the dates are given when
weights were taken, and the sum of the weights of the five
animals :

Jan. 20, 3492 Feb. 10, 3588 Meb. 2, 3584
22, 3456 12, 3202 3, 3600

24, 3412 14, 3532 5, 3590

26, 3462 16, 3520 ty 3640

27, 3444 AT, 3524 aE 3662

29, 3410 19, 3532 10, 3666

31, 3432 21, 3538 13, 3570

Feb. 2, 3458 23, 3518 15, 3662
5, 3444 24, 3558 1%, 3676

Ti 3428 26, 3542 RP 3694

9, 3366 28, 3604 21, 3672

Sh eae

Here the trial with the maintenance ration ended, with a
gain, estimated by comparing the average of the first four
weighings with the last four, of a little over 1.1 lbs. per day
and 1,000 lbs. live weight.

The last weights of the four animals, taken in the same
order as the first, were 1,020, 924, 864, and 864 lbs.

For the next four weeks the steers were put on a better
ration, as follows: Hay, 20 lbs.; corn meal, 34 lbs.; and cot-
ton-seed meal, 243 lbs. The total weights at the end of
each week were 3,702, 3,764, 3,810, and 3,834 Ibs. <A gain
was made of about 1.53 lbs. per day and 1,000 Ibs. of live
weight at the start on March 21. The digestible composi-
tion of this ration is given in the table on p. 19.

W olff’s maintenance ration (1) and our own in this exper-
iment (II) in pounds of digestible nutrients per day and
1,000 lbs. live weight are given in the following table :

ae 10) fe
Totalidry SUDStAnGG...2-<5282s5- <2 ssc s cose saeeonn- 14.5 15.3
Protein ses -s554 BF en he ee ee ne oe ae 0.7 0.68
Carbohydr vesiand fate sosee actos ses atcha ac wemme 8.25 8.6
ENTUGRIDLVIG: Cea Ul Olserste s stele tae tare ais) oo ooo <iniseleesis e sreiwicrae 1:12 1213;2

Our ration is therefore a poorer one than Wolff’s, having
a somewhat smaller proportion of protein to non-nitrogenous
matter; but for all that there is a notable gain in weight.
It is poorer also than the maintenance ration used in a simi-
lar experiment in 1881-2 (Second Report of the C. U. Exper-
iment Station, pp. 19, 20), and, as the theory would require,
the gain in weight is less on this ration than on the earlier
one, 2.2 pounds.

In regard to these standard rations, the results of the
many tests to which they have been subjected at various
places in the country ! make it evident that, with such data
as we at present have at command, no ration can be calcu-
lated that will do the same work, or produce the effect for
which it was calculated, in all cases, and perhaps not even
in a majority of cases, and that sometimes such rations en-

1See reports of the feeding trials at the New Hampshire Agricultural College,
Pennsylvania Agricultural College, New York State Experiment Station,
Wisconsin Agricultural College.

— 99 —

tirely fail to accomplish the purpose for which they are cal-
culated and used. The individual productive capacity of
the animals fed undoubtedly affects the result ; this is shown
in a striking manner by a comparison of the results obtained
with the approximate maintenance ration of 1881-2 with an
ordinary fattening ration ; the poor maintenance ration gave
2.2 ibs. increase of live weight per day and 1,000 Ibs. live
weight, while the undoubtedly much richer ration of 1882-3
gave only 1.66 Ibs. This last ration also gave only a little
better result than the very much poorer and cheaper ration
of 1882-3, selected for mere maintenance. Other illustra-
tions of this point may be found in the Second Report of
this Station.

Of many kinds of fodder included in such experiments
not enough determinations of digestibility have been made
to furnish a sound basis for making up a mixed ration, cal-
culated according to digestibility ; and it has recently even
been questioned whether any of the results of the vast
amount of labor that has been spent in the investigation of
the subject of the digestibility of fodders are sufficiently
reliable to be of much use to us.!

It would seem to be of less importance to make further
experiments on rations calculated according to the German
standards than to make actual digestion experiments with
such different rations as actual experience, in this country or
elsewhere, has shown to be most useful for the particular
purposes for which they are fed. Thus we may learn what
part of such rations, as a whole, are actually digested and
go toward making growth or milk; with a mass of infor-
mation of this kind in our possession we would then be in a
better position to calculate other rations made up of other
mixtures. By such experiments, also, the value of Prof.
Armsby’s suggestion could be easily tested—that the effect
of aration is due more to the total amount of digestible
material contained in it than the precise composition of the
digested matter, provided only that the ration contains a

‘Armsby, Am. J. Science, 1885, p. 335.

pois eotaes

reasonable proportion of the three nutrients, protein, fat,
and carbhydrates. Unfortunately there are very few places
in this country where such digestion experiments can be car-
ried on.

Vil.

FIELD EXPERIMENTS WITH CROPS.
By Pror. I. P. ROBERTs.

Corn, 1882-84.

Av the N. Y. Experiment Station experiments were con-
ducted in 1882 with grains from the butt, middle, and tip of
ears of corn.

Those from the tips showed greater vitality and germi-
nating power than either those from the butt or middle. At
the request of the Director of the Station duplicate experi-
ments were begun on the University farm in 1883.

The seed selected was taken from the crib and had the
appearance of being a little weak. The corn was planted in
a good, warm, fertile soil, with results given in the follow-
ing table; the figures represent the number of plants that
appeared above ground :

1882. 1883. 1884,
50 Hills—5 seeds 50 Hills—5 seeds 50 Hills—3 seeds
Seeds from the to the hill. to the hill. to the hill.
dl th 0) ae eee 191 171 121
IBUGUSe 5 sacle cites 120 165 73
Midd G2 ccScs-o2 sci c 218 242 116

Many experiments will have to be performed to settle this
question, and in soil free from insect pests.

WHEAT, 1882-83.

On September 7, 1882, a small field was prepared for test-
ing twenty varieties of wheat as to their yield and value

a A eee

!

when treated to a very liberal dressing of manures and fer-
tilizers. Some ten loads of well-rotted manure were applied
per acre, and 200 lbs. of high-grade superphosphate were
scattered broadcast about one week before sowing the wheat.
The wheat came up and grew most luxuriantly, the leaves
standing quite erect instead of bending over and keeping
close to the ground, as is common and desirable in ordinary
culture. The first hard freeze of winter browned the tops
perceptibly. By the last hard freeze of spring there were
no plants left to destroy. While the experiment taught a
lesson, it was quite a different one from what was expected.
It was evident from the outset that the wheat was making
too tender and succulent a growth to withstand a hard win-
ter. While this piece entirely failed, the ordinary treatment
of the other wheat fields gave an average of upwards of
twenty-six bushels per acre. It will be remembered that the
winter of 1882-3 was a very severe one on wheat in this
locality.

WueEaT, 1883-84.

In the fall of 1888 a few varieties which had, during our
former experiments, proved the most promising, were selected
and drilled in, in long, narrow strips across a fifteen-acre
field which had been prepared for the general wheat crop.

The whole field had been in oats during the earlier part
of the season, had been plowed immediately after the oats
were removed, and treated to about ten loads of farm-yard
manure per acre. :

The entire field was then rolled, harrowed, and fitted in
the best possible manner. Strips two feet wide between the
plots left vacant, letting in light and air, without doubt
increased the yield over what it would have been had there
been no open spaces. The plots contained 5 of an acre
each,

Oa

YIELD PER PLOT. | YIELD PER ACRE.
PLoT No. VARIETY.

Pounds. Bushels. Lbs.
1 Cla WSONG ee cnet nce= seme ae 246% 41 — 5
2 Champion Amber...-..--- 276% 46 — 2 |
3 Egyptian .......... ee 26414 44— 5 |
4 ThostName.....2-...<.0<.0..¢ 225 39 — 10
5 York White Chaff.....--. 237% 39 — 55
6 Velvet Chaff............. 199 35 — 10 |

All the see# except the Clawson was sent to me by Prof.
W. R. Lazenby, Director of the Ohio Experiment Station,
we having lost these varieties in the failure of the previous
year.

Oats, 1884.

The plots were sown April 22, on good and well-prepared
ground. The season was fine up to the time of wheat har-
vest, when a heavy rain and wind storm laid down the entire
field. This caused the oats to be light in weight, and hence
a decreased yield.

The plots contained one-ninth of an acre each, and ex-
tended the entire length of a fifteen-acre field. They were
divided from each other by vacant strips of two feet.

QUANTITY OF Yrretp| YreLp |
SEED PER OF PER |
No. OF ACRE. SPECIAL FERTILIZING, si Pror.| ACRE. |
PLot. aa SOWING. Le aa ee
Pecks. Lbs. | Bu. Lbs. |
1 8 Drilled. | 19134 | 53 — 27% |
2 5 6 19014 | 53 — 1814
3 12 a) 1i% 49 — 25
4 16 be 161 45,— 9 |
5 5 50 lbs salt applied. ot) 196 55 — 4 |
6 6 os 16314 | 45 — 31
uf 8 ae 150% | 45 — 14%
8 8 Broadecast.| 155 438 — 19 |
9 8 50]bs salt, 50lbs plaster} Drilled. 170% | 47 — 30%
10 8 50 lbs salt. es 142% | 43 — 6%

In comparing the yield of a large number of plots, it is
never safe to compare those which are widely separated.
The above should be divided into two groups, the first ex-

tending from one to six, the second from seven to ten.
3

= 0g

Manco.ps, 1883.

To test varieties, twenty short rows, equally divided and
unfertilized, gave yields as follows

Yellow Ovid, seed from H. Sibley & Co., yield gtespeesaaws 630 ba.
Long Red, Ror ttt aL Tah ea eeaot anes 630 “

Manaotps, 1884.

The rows were sixteen rods long and 3 ft. 4 in, apart ;
two rows, or a little over 3; of an acre, constituted a plot.
The soil was a clay loam, timothy and clover sod. In De-
cember, 1883, about ten loads per acre of good farm-yard
manure were spread upon the surface, and plowed under in
May.

To TEST VARIETIES. FERTILIZERS USED. YIELD.
Lbs.
1. Yellow Champion from Agr. Dept., 12 lbs. potash salts. 2270
2. Sugar beet, base aS ly 2100
3. Yellow Ovid, faded poor). oe - ¢ 1692

To TEST FERTILIZERS.

sO HAO, <.<aswiteicok cas hectageess 12 lbs. potash salts, 2160
“ i we eee Trees t. 12 Ibs. cotton-seed meal, 1794
6 Ree oe ee ee ee 3a No fertilizers, 1944
(4 lbs. dissolved bone,
re Ae eed ene See ene Bias eile aa 41bs. blood, t 1954
"i 4 lbs, potash salts,
a ie awa sats 2 octet seeseece ) Je Le eece. 1820
§8 lbs. dissolved bone,
6 BSc RO ge iy Aa eae 8 lbs. dried blood, 2100
8 lbs. potash salts, )

VIII.

SELF-FERTILIZATION OF CORN.

By Pror. I. P. ROBERTS.

AN attempt was made, in the following manner, to deter-
mine the productiveness of self-fertilized corn. Two hills
of corn were planted side by side, and allowed to grow with

Eh) ae

three stalks in a hill until the ear and tassel began to form.
The two weaker plants were then removed from one of the
hills, and a frame two feet square and seven feet high,
formed of glass on two contiguous sides, and of white mus-
lin on the other two sides and the top, was placed over the
remaining stalks. This prevented all contact of foreign
pollen ; the glass permitted full access of light, and the mus-
lin of air. No perceptible interference with the normal
temperature and moisture was observed, as the glass sides
of the frame were turned to the north and east. It has
been shown by Italian investigations that the only effect of
a white muslin screen on the growth of corn is to make it
slender, but with an increase in total weight. This, in the
present experiment, unimportant influence was neutralized
by having half of the screen made of glass; and, on the
other hand, the harm that might arise from confinement
under glass was neutralized by combining cloth with it,
which offers little resistance to the passage of air and moist-
ure. We therefore had our single corn plant under normal
influences, practically; only preventing the access of foreign
pollen. The plant continued to grow finely; pollen in the
greatest abundance was produced, and covered the leaves,
ear, and ground beneath with a thick yellow dust. The
silks were pollenized in the same prodigal manner, and there
seemed no reason why the ear should not mature a full com-
plement of kernels. In the fall the frame was removed,
when it was found that the ear which had only received pol-
len from the same plant contained no kernels at all, while
the three stalks which were free to receive pollen from each
other or elsewhere had the ears well filled out with sound
kernels, Although this is but a single instance, it yet points
strongly toward the incapacity of the corn plant to close
fertilize, and the great advantage in productiveness of cross
fertilization.

<= GRee.

IX.

MISCELLANEOUS ANALYSES OF FERTILIZING MATE-
RIALS.

By Pror. G. C. CALDWELL.

(Analyses by Mr. F. EB. Furry.)

Ashes.—These samples were sent to the Station for an-
alysis, partly by members of the Western New York Hor-
ticultural Society, in connection with the experiments on the
effect of potash salts when used as a fertilizer for grapes :

Potash. Phosphoric Acid.

Wood ashes, No. 1.....---- Py ee eee 5.8 1.76
e rs BE De iat ees shee nd Sae ae 8.24 0.04
? RS. Uy UOT 5 ca See ane Oe ean ee eee ae 2.51 1.43
bas " SUA ee Pane toed ae eee 5.07 172
ae bis BM. ‘Gig de veaessde 250 eeeweeneeseweeas 2.82 0.81
ed hd oF RL cade sian seen benees bee ee 7.40 1.38
an Dark HenGs. ..fscooeo.2soccko i wecdeeeennees 0.84 1.14
TaAvit BANGS es sasces ors vores = <eseeeees bse ree eceun 17.19 6.55

Some of these samples evidently represented leached
ashes, although they were not stated to be so by those who
sent them. Of those that were not leached, some of the
differences in composition are sufficiently great to make
differences in fertilizing value of no small account, and to
suggest very positively the wisdom, in purchasing large lots,
of first procuring an analysis.

The tan bark being so thoroughly leached in the opera-
tions of tanning yields ashes of little value. The “lint
ashes,” so excessively rich in both potash and phosphoric
acid, are the product of burning the waste in the manutact-
ure of flax.

Land Plaster.—Some analyses of land plaster given in the
2d Report of the Station, only for the purpose of showing
the differences in composition of the product from different
layers of rock in the quarry, were criticised as unjustly dis-
criminating against the plaster in general from that quarry.
At our request a gentleman of Union Springs procured

three samples which, in his opinion, fairly represented the
product ; the analyses of these are given below. No. 1 was
ground in 1881, and Nos. 2 and 3 in 1883. No. 4 was
ground in March, 1885, at the mill in Ithaca.

Insoluble residue. Pure plaster.

es Sh asevetere = Ae ees 5.29 68.8
Dee oereie oi =< Sen Src 7.37 73.7
Dee eametars See aioe 2.47 89.4
Dye. Seep ts ideas ote 5.93 63.75

Even these figures show no. little degree of variation in
quality.

Determinations of potash were made in twelve samples of
commercial potash salts used in connection with the experi-
ments on fertilizing grapes reported below. They were in
general, especially if muriates, of good quality. ‘lwo sam-
ples, however, that came to the Station labeled “ sulphate
‘of potash,” and which, if of good quality, should have con-
tained about 80 per cent. of the substance, really contained
less than 25 per cent., and a third contained but 43 per cent.
The first two were probably kainite, and if sold at the
prices usually charged for kainite were what they should be,
except as to the name.

X.

EXPERIMENTS WITH VARIOUS FERTILIZERS ON
INDIAN CORN.

By Pror. G. C. CALDWELL.

THis series of experiments was begun with the expecta-
tion of continuing it through a number of years, or at least
till conclusive answers should be obtained to some of the
questions put in regard to the manuring of this important
crop. A field of about two acres, with a stiff clay soil,
which by previous cropping had been reduced to a low con-
dition of fertility, was divided into 33 plots, each wide and

long enough for three rows of corn with eighty hills to the
row. The chief object of the experiments was to contribute
something to the settlement of the question as to which of
the three most important constituents of manures—phos-
phoric acid, nitrogen or potash—will produce the best effect
when used alone on corn, or what combination of these sub-
stances is most effective ; in addition to this the attempt
was made to compare the effectiveness of different forms of
combination in which these substances may be procured in
the market, and also the effect of sulphates, especially sul-
phate of lime or plaster.

The manner in which this plan was carried out is suffi-
ciently explained in the following statement of the arrange-
ment and manuring of plots, and the results.

In the first three years the results of the experiments were
entirely unsatisfactory, as all the plots except those treated
with stable manure gave smaller yields than the unmanured
plots. While an apparently satisfactory explanation could
in some cases (and especially in the first year) be given for
this failure to respond to the fertilizers, by referring it to
exceedingly unfavorable weather at the time of planting and
during the early stages of growth of the crop, in other cases
the result is inexplicable, and can serve the only useful pur-
pose of illustrating the difficulty that is liable to attend field
experimentation. After several plots had received their
respective charge of manure for three years the soil appeared
to begin to acquire distinctive characters in the several ex-
- periments. The statement of these results in detail would
not be worth the space they would occupy, and the report is
therefore confined to the last two years ; in the second of
these years, or the fifth of the whole series, all manuring
was discontinued in order to ascertain the effect of the resi-
dues of previous manuring left in the soil.

The results are all calculated to a standard of a yield of
100 Ibs. of ears on the unmanured plots ; plot No. 3, for in-
stance, yielded in 1878 117 lbs. of ears and 56 lbs. of stover
for every 100 lbs. of ears on the unmanured plot No. 8.

Fertilizer.

Phosphate of Soda
Same and plaster, 360 pounds
Superphosplhate, plain, high grade
Superphosphate, ‘
INItTRtelOf SONG. 2. s s.c5cic.ceeitertase cae
Sulphate of ammonia
Same as 4 and plaster 360 pounds
Superphosphate, ordinary kind
Superphosphate
Sulphate of ammonia
Nitrate of soda
No manure
Stable manure, 14 tons
Ground rock phosphate
Ground rock phosphate
Peruvian guano
Nitrate of soda
Nitrate of soda
Superphosphate
Sulphate of ammonia
Sulphate of ammonia
Superphosphate
Peruvian guano
Fish guano
Fish guano
Superphosphate
Fish guano
Superphosphate
Sulphate of ammonia
Fish guano

Sulphate of potash
Sulphate of potash
Sulphate of ammonia
Nitrate of soda
Sulphate of potash
Sulphate of ammonia
Nitrate of soda
Superphosphate
Sulphate of potash

Sulphate of potash
Superphosphate

No manure

Stable manure, 14 tons

Stable manure, 14 tons..... ............
Plaster, on young corn

Stable manure, 14 tons
Plaster in hill with seed

Sulphate of magnesia
Peruvian guano

Plaster, on young corn
Peruvian guano

Sulphate of magnesia

Pounds fertiliz-
er per acre.

In the following table is given the actual yield in weight —
of corn and stover of the two unmanured plots, and the two
plots manured with stable manure, calculated for an acre:

1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879.

No manure 4590/3323 |3083 |2235!2730}1965|3975
Stable manure, 14 tons 4800/4403 |3773|3400|8075|8275 4755
No manure 3983/2558)|2835/1620|2265]1290|3248
Stable manure, 14 tons 4830/4095 | 2625/3035 |2835}2400/ 4140

The two unmanured plots and the two plots treated with
stable manure, located midway between the middle and ends
of the field, were supposed to be sufficient to provide stand-
ards by which to measure the effect of the fertilizers. But
as the yield of one pair of plots was invariably larger than
that of the other, it was made evident that the field was not
so uniform in quality as was expected ; and in the calcula-
tion of these results of the last two years, each half of the
field was considered by itself instead of taking the mean of
the two unmanured plots as the standard for the whole ;
this mean was taken as the standard, however, for plots 13,
14, 15, 16 and 17, occupying the central portion of the
space between the unmanured plots.

Notwithstanding that so large a share of the work re-
sulted in failure, still many interesting results appear in
these last two years. In respect to stable manure its gen-
eral reliability for yielding sure if not always profitable re-
turns is shown throughout the whole series of years; the
return is often not commensurate with the outlay, however.
Fourteen tons of good manure to the acre would need to
give an increase of more than one-fourth over no manure in
order to be profitably used ; and yet this was more than has
been obtained in most of these experiments ; and a careful
observation of field experiments generally will show that in
a large number, if not, indeed, in the majority of cases,
stable manure appears to give unprofitably small returns, at
least so far as regards the crop to which it is directly ap-

so

plied. But the value of time in bringing its constituents
into more assimilable forms, as well as the large amount of
valuable residue which may remain in the soil after liberal
treatment with the manure, is shown by the figures for plots
8 and 9, and 26 and 27 for 1879, when the manuring was
discontinued. Both plots which had received stable manure
in previous years gave an increase of more than one-half
over the yield of the unmanured plot.

The value of plaster in connection with stable manure is
well illustrated in these results ; in every instance, excepting
in 1876, it has increased the effect of this manure when ap-
plied on the young corn, and in some cases to a very profit-
able extent (plot 28). It will be observed that in the last
two years it increased the yield of stover to a much smaller
extent than that of corn; as might be expected, its effect
does not continue beyond the year when applied. Plaster
in the hill with the seed (plot 29) is not without effect ; and
under some conditions, probably of the weather, such as
obtained in 1877, it produced a better result than when ap-
plied in the usual manner. Plaster alone, as well as the
other sulphate—sulphate of magnesia—appeared to do more
harm than good (plots 30 and 31); but the latter with Peru-
vian guano (plot 33) appeared to bring out the virtues of
that fertilizer to some extent, since a much better yield was
obtained than on plot 32; but a single result like this has
but little value. In other cases where plaster was used with
fertilizers containing phosphoric acid or nitrogen or potash
(plots 2 and 5, and 24 compared with 21), it increased the
yield and, as in the case of stable manure, without affecting
the yield of stover to a corresponding extent.

The question so much discussed just now, as to the im-
portance of nitrogen in manure for corn, receives some light
from the results of these experiments: comparing plots 38
and 4, it is seen that with a high grade phosphate almost as
good a yield is obtained, both in the year when applied and
in the following year, from the residues of the previous
year, as with the phosphate and nitrogenous manures.

Again, in plots 12 and 13 we have no increase with nitrate
alone, but a notable increase with nitrate and superphos-
phate. A study of plots 21 to 25 shows the value of ma-
nures containing no nitrogen, especially if they contain both
potash and phosphoric acid, as in the case of the last three.
Plot 22, with nitrogenous manures added to potash sulphate,
shows no indication of value for nitrogen, while all the three
following plots, to which supeiphosphate is added but no
nitrogen, give nearly or quite as large an increase as stable
manure, Nitrogenous manure is not altogether without
effect, however, as is shown by nearly all the plots which
received it, such as 4, 7, 14, and 15; but in no case does
their use increase the crop to a profitable extent, while on
the other hand the use of potash and phosphoric acid with-
out nitrogen, and, in some cases, of one of these alone, pro-
duces a marked increase (plots 3, 13, 28, 24, and 25).

A few years ago Prof. Lehmann,! of Germany, performed
some experiments which went to show that Indian corn
requires its nitrogen in the form of ammonia in the earlier
stages of its growth, and in the form of nitrate during the
latter part of the season. In an ordinary, arable soil, and
under ordinary conditions, while no conversion of nitrate
into ammonia takes place, there is a steady oxidation of am-
monium salts to nitrates ; hence, if a crop requiring (as was
shown by Lehmann’s results) ammonia salts first and nitrate
afterwards, is supplied with nitrates only from the begin-
ning, it must suffer in the first part of the season for want
of proper food, to such an extent as hardly to recover, even
though it afterwards has the right kind of food; while, if
supphed with ammonia salts only, it is provided directly
with what it needs in the beginning of its growth, and later,
indirectly by oxidation of ammonia, with the nitrate that it
is supposed to require. The results of the use of nitrate of
soda alone, on plot 12, as compared with the yield of plot
14, are in accordance with Lehmann’s results. In such of
the experiments conducted under the direction of Prof. At-

! Biederann’s Centralblatt, Bd. 7, p, 405.

Be

water,! in 1878, as furnish any comparison between these
two compounds of nitrogen, the average effect of a given
quantity of nitrogen—forty-eight pounds to the acre, in the
form of ammonia salts—was 30 per cent. better than its effect
when applied in the form of nitrates, although neither fer-
tilizer paid for itself. In future experiments on the value
of nitrogen in fertilizers for corn, it would be only just to
the element to give it the best chance, and supply it in that
form in which it can make the best showing for itself.

Although the annual cost of the fertilizers is given in the
table, the estimation of profits is a somewhat complicated
problem, since it is impossible to determine the extent to
which the crops of these two years are due to the manure
applied to the several plots previous to the year 1878. We
therefore postpone the discussion of this question till we
shall have the results of further experiments.

Other interesting points might be made out by further
study of these results; but as much space has already been
given to the matter as our limits will allow, and more con-
sideration has perhaps been bestowed on them than should
be on a series of experiments comprising but a single year’s
manuring.

XI.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE RATION ON THE COMPOSI-
TION OF THE MILK.

By Pror. G. C. CALDWELL.

Tue influence of the character of the feed of milch cows
on the composition of the dry substance of the milk—that
is to say, on the relative proportions of its several constitu-
ents, the fat, sugar, casein, etc.—has been made the subject
of several investigations. Of the possible variations in these

1Report of work of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Middletown, Ct.,
1877-8, p. 101.

36 —

proportions, those which relate to the fat and casein are the
most important, since special richness in one of these con-
stituents makes the milk more valuable for butter, and spec-
ial richness in the other makes it better for cheese.

Boussingault, in 1888 and again in 1858, investigated the
subject, with results showing that the ratio of fat to casein
in the milk is by no means constant.!

In the case of one cow, for 100 parts of casein the fat
ranged from 85 to 127, and of the other cow from 85 to
187 parts ; with the first cow the smallest proportion of fat
was yielded on wheat flour fed with hay, and the largest on
hay alone; with the other, the smallest proportion of fat
was yielded on molasses fed with the hay, and the largest
on green clover.

Dr, Playfair? found a great difference in the relative pro-
portions of fat and casein even between milk of morning
and night. In the former case, for 100 of casein the milk
contained but 69 of fat, and in the latter 144, the cow being
fed on grass; but when the same cow was fed on potatoes
and hay there was but little change in the ratio of casein to
fat, in passing from morning to night.

In a series of experiments by Rohde and Frommer? with
four cows and various rations the following results were
obtained with respect to the relation between fat and casein:

Fat to 100

Feed added to the hay. of Casein.
(017105 01 eee re re Oe ery eee he 74
EO GN WIGS | 25 S25 = Saiew cto weaets.o ae wentenans ee Tae eee eee 88
OLRUO HMB Des sa 52.5 cnc4 08 cc te cess Soausie shee wee ane ath. Gannon 62
Sugar Waet Mash n.2.-.. sys cn ~ 224s decanees es eae ee 108
BUPAY DeGtsr. as 2:-<.+--saceace eee stincsaesag shade t, eee 100
OSLrOts'. adeocseice 5 oc errr er Stas 5s eee 88
HYG DIAS: - 556 2 o2lcn cau atone as eeee deus ele ae ee 99

Karmrodt* also observed in the case of one cow the same
great change in the proportion of casein to fat as was found
by Dr. Playfair, in passing from morning to night ; the

'Martiny, Die Milch, I, p. 283.

2 Journal of Royal Agricultural Society, XIII, p. 25.
’Martiny, Die Milch, p. 268.

4Martiny, Die Milch, p. 271.

ey | eee

morning’s milk contained 79 parts, and the evening’s milk
128 of fat for 100 of casein.

Experiments by Stohmann! with two goats, extending
from April to September, on different rations, also show
how the ratio of fat to casein varies, and, further, the steady
increase in the proportion of casein with the duration of
lactation since the time of calving.

Goat No.1. | Goat No. 2. Fat to 100 |
Feed added is eats .)a0aq| of Casein.
| to the ae l| ab |] ae! a's
rationofhay. |S 2/84/8ea/|384
Bo pe Fiss nips No. 1.| No. 2.
onl aS | m5 ;
Nothing. ...--- 3.8 3.0 2.8 158 107
Starch ........ gees (P28) ) 6.4 B80 «|; 186) 88
Ot peel a | 40 | 22 | a2 | a2 | 143 | 101
Nothing 512 34 3.6 3:3 168 109
Surar..225. 25. 4.6 33 2.5 3.5 139 71
Nothing...- 5.6 37 3.9 3.7 151 106
By

It also appears that the change in this ratio of fat to
casein is dependent, at least to some extent, on the character
of the fodder, since it takes place alike in the milk of both
animals with the changes in the ration.

The important practical question in Gonnection with the
variation in this ratio of fat to casein is whether it can be
brought under control, so that by feeding a cow in “such a
way as to increase the yield of milk, this increase may be
turned into casein rather than fat, or vice versa. This ques-
tion has been investigated very carefully by G. Kiihn? in
connection with other chemists, and, as is known, with re-
sults which show that such a thing is not in general possible,
and that palm nut meal is the only kind of concentrated
fodder which has been found to cause a decided special in-
crease in the richness of cow’s milk in any one of its several
constituents.

Such is clearly the result of his experiments of 1870 with
four cows, when the ration was varied only by changing the
proportions of fat and albuminoids in it, by adding ordi-

1 Zeitschrift f. Biologie, 1870. Jahresbericht ueber Agrikultur-Chemie XIII,

p. 161.
2 Journal f. Landwirtschaft, 1874, pp. 168, 295; 1875, p. 481.

nary concentrated fodder to the hay ; in the milk of one
cow the ratio remained just the same, in that of another it
varied from only 122 to 123 of fat for 100 of casein ; in
another the ratio ranged from 125 to 131 of fat to 100 of
casein, and in the fourth, where there was a slight one-sided
increase in fat, the ratio changed from 135 to 148 to 100 of
casein.

In the experiments of 1871, 1872 and 1873 palm nut meal
was specially tested, since it had been found by Freitag that
it very materially increased the proportion of fat in milk of
cows to whose ration it was added. In experiments with five
cows, conducted with each cow separately, the addition of
6.5 Ibs. of this meal to the normal ration of hay, straw and
roots did increase the proportion of fat, without notably
altering that of the albuminoids, in every case but one, when
it raised slightly the proportion of albuminoids, and left the
fat unchanged. ‘The increase in fat ranged from 0.3 to 0.5
per cent. and the amount of fat to 100 of albuminoids rose
from 133 to 153 parts in one instance, from 110 to 122 in
another, and from 122 to 130 in another.

Bean meal, a feeding stuff rich in albuminoids, either pro-
duced no effect on the ratio of fat to albuminoids, or re-
duced the fat ; in one ease 6.5 Ibs. of this meal added to the
normal ration lowered the proportion of fat, and raised that
of the albuminoids, so that the amount of the former for
100 of the latter fell from 135 to 112 parts. Brewers’ grains,
tried in two experiments, in one case did not change the
ratio of fat to albuminoids, and in the other slightly lowered
the proportion of fat.

Such in brief is the history of the most important. re-
searches that touch this question of the possible changes in
the relative proportions of fat and albuminoids in the milk.
They show that this proportion differs widely in the milk of
different cows, that it is not constant for the milk of the
same cow, that certain articles of fodder may cause an in-
crease in the proportion of fat and not of casein, and so
cause a Change in the ratio of the one to the other, and also

5

that the individuality of the cow may modify the influence
of the fodder on the composition of the milk.

In order to eliminate at least to a large extent the effect
of the individuality of the animal, and also to test the in-
fluence of such changes in the ration of cows as may come
within the usual line of practice of dairymen in this country,
the following experiments were performed, with the kind
co-operation of Prof. Roberts. Four (or three) cows that
had been in milk for about the same length of time were
set apart from the rest of the herd belonging to the Uni-
versity Farm, for special methods of feeding. Their ration
was changed every fortnight, gradually from less to greater
richness or vice versa, the milk was weighed, and samples of
the mixed milk of each milking taken to the chemical lab-
oratory for analysis. There, to a weighed quantity of
washed and ignited sand sufficiently large to receive about
100 cubic centimetres of milk about 10 cc. of each portion
of milk, accurately weighed, was added as soon as it was
brought in, and evaporated down till the sand was moder-
ately dry again. In this manner samples of all the milk of
a week were added in succession to the same quantity of
sand, and after the last charge had been added and evap-
orated, the whole was thoroughly mixed and pulverized with
the aid of a small platinum wire spatula, and a pestle made
of glass rod, dried as thoroughly as possible over the water
bath and then for an hour at 100°, and finally for several
days in the desiccator.

Repeated determinations of fat and nitrogen in this resi-
due, yielding results that for the same residue agreed very
closely together, proved that the mixture was uniform. By
working according to this method the product of every
milking is brought under examination with far less labor
than is required for the examination of each milking sepa-
rately. The nitrogen was determined by the absolute
method, and the fat by extraction with ether in the usual
manner.

These feeding experiments were repeated for three sea-

ae A ee

sons, with four cows in the first two winters, and three in
the last. The results of the analysis of the milk residues of
the second week on each ration are given in the following
table. Most unfortunately all the records of the feeding
for the first season were lost ; but the ration was changed
from fortnight to fortnight somewhat after the same man-
ner as in the third season, and, as in that season also, the
cows were turned into the pasture towards the end of the
experiment. Hence the results, so far as they relate to the
ratio of fat to albuminoids, are not without value, especially
since in their general tenor they agree with those of the
third season. In the column headed “ ratio of fat to albu-
minoids” the number of parts of fat to 100 parts of albu-
minoids are given.

First Series of Haperiments.—

Ratio of fat to

Albuminoids.
Rivet. SMO. =s<.wles ccs sam pden soe phe sce cet hs Sod eters re 111
Second ration.............- cui eeeindserds- <8 oars ee eee ci tere ad
PENG en ON stra 05 Sn ae aes Saree eo ae ge ee 126
Fourth ration. ...-.-. cilonss Habe atarekeseemreyawieaawe aes ater 137
BITGN. THtON: £2 2425.2 sesd=-cede sAntsseetsites 2 cede oee eee wees 124
DER DAMON os ws y a's bore hey bao a Kacmad ide sacs oe es soe ace 121
BBY GiGi Pats ect lw ocspyenc ress poe ose rash been ie eee 118
BeNOR aoe 65s See suse oc oe eee + ee a 100

Second Series of Hxperiments.—In the second series of ex-
periments the records of the feeding were also mostly lost :
the ration consisted of hay with more or less of a mixture
of grain consisting of a mixture of equal parts of bran and
corn meal. Eight quarts of this concentrated fodder were
added to the daily ration of hay in the first fortnight, and
this was increased and then diminished by four quarts at a

time in successive fortnights.
Ratio of fat to

Albuminoids.
First Ta uo, <2: S022 chasse: 22 bs. pnihs SE o.oo ware ae aa eee 127
BAGONGITALON v2 Sec Few cn aden cu lpeaieu- Sas seeeed os sua te eee 121
Third rayon?) 2 sous bog hoes «ogy easssuPannee ome peo eee 121
POUPULN PAGION - co ysasace vo ve cu stcedaneede ice ceesene Clee eee 131
Joab Aten: (l(t) ere ke 130

Three cows were taken for
this experiment. The grain in the ration was a mixture of

Third Series of Experiments.

SA

one-half bran, one-fourth oats and one-fourth corn meal.
The milk of the three cows was mixed, and each morning
and evening a sample was brought to the laboratory for

analysis, which was immediately dried down with sand as
usual.

The following changes were made in the ration, each one
being continued a fortnight. The quantities represent each
day’s feed in pounds :

Grain.}| Roots. Hay.
T 8 14 15.5
II 16 14 12.0
Til 8 14 15.0
IV 4 14 17.3
Vv 0 0 19.0
VI 8 0 13.5
VII 16 0 10.0
VIII 0 0 | Grass ad lib.
IX 4 0 | Grass ad lib. |
) na
<= | Percent ieee
No. of [O43 Sz
Experi- Pe q 2s |
ment 3 <| Fat. Albu- | = =
= minoids.| 22
a ak
I 696 3.71 5.50 7.5
II 736 3.68 4.00 92.0
nBGE 671 110.0
IV 640 3.52 | 3.13 | 113.0
Vv 568 | 3.67 3.41 | 108.0
Val 644 3.14 3.22 97.4
WEE 700 3.25 3.88 83.9
VIII 709 3.69 4.59 80.2
IX 700 | 3.46 4.88 71.0

The results of the second series of experiments furnish no
important contribution to the solution of the question under
discussion. But on comparing together the first and third
series, which were continued for about the same length of
time, it is seen that both show a gradual change in the ratio
of fat to albuminoids, beginning with a low proportion of
fat, which rose till about the middle of the period and then
fell to about the point at which it started ; and in the case of
the last series of experiments where, except in one instance,
the actual per cent. of fat and albuminoids in the milk was

determined, it is shown that there was a larger proportion of
4

Des

albuminoids in the milk at the beginning of the period, and
that this proportion fell gradually up to the time when the
ratio of fat to albuminoids was largest, and then rose at a
nearly uniform rate thereafter. This does not appear in the
first series of experiments, since nothing was determined but
the relative proportions of fat and albuminoids in the dried
residue of the milk.

In regard to the composition of the milk at different
stages of the period of lactation, Ktihn concluded from the
results of his experiments! that in general the proportion of
fat to albuminoids became smaller as the period of lactation,
from the time of calving, lengthens, and that this is brought
about by a gradual increase in the proportion of albumin-
oids in the dry substance of the milk, and a decrease of fat ;
but such a result was not obtained in all his experiments,
and the change in the ratio of fat to albuminoids was very
much smaller than in ours. Stohmann, in experiments with
goats,” obtained results quite similar to our own, the milk
being at first richer in albuminoids, then poorer, and finally
richer again.

These records also show that these progressive changes in
the composition of the milk follow their steady course, inde-
pendent of changes in the ration, or in other words, that the
composition of the dry substance of the milk does not ap-
pear to be affected even by important changes in the com-
position of the ration, at least when those changes are such
as may come within the scope of ordinary dairy practice.
In this respect our results agree with those obtained by
Kiihn, Fleischer,’ and others.

1 Journal f. Landwirtschaft, X XIII (1875), p. 516.
? Journal f. Landwirtschaft, XVII (1869), p. 168.
3 Jahresbericht ueber Agrikultur-Chemie, 1870-2, p. 174.

All.
PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.

By Pror. JAMES Law.

[NorwirustanpinG the length of this article, the great
importance at the present time of the subject treated seems
ample justification for its republication. The reader who is
at all familiar with the course of this disease during the past
few years will not fail to note the singular accuracy with
which Prof. Law’s anticipations have been fulfilled. The
paper is reprinted without revision as it first appeared in
1879.—C. K. A.|

As the writer has been engaged during 1879 in the direction
of measures for the extirpation of this foreign plague from
our territory, it seems reasonable that this Bulletin should
set forth a summary of what has been accomplished, and
what lessons have been learned from the experience. It
must, however, be premised that no means were provided
for experimental observation, so that questions of the deep-
est interest to the pathologist and epidemiologist have had
to lie unaffected by such crucial tests as the experimentalist
alone can apply. In some respects this is to be regretted,
as doctrines which are now but the deductions of empirical
observations might have been placed on an irrefragable
basis, and certain fields of pathological science might have
been illumined with a clearer light.

Yet the observations inseparable from the daily applica-
tion of suppressive measures are far from being unimpor-
tant, and in many respects the results obtained are no less
conclusive than if they had been the outcome of the most
carefully devised experiment. The width of the field under
observation, so far exceeding what could have been sub-
jected to experiment, served to give a conclusiveness to
obvious causations and results, that appeared unvaryingly
for an indefinite number of times in succession, which could

ace Bit

not have been obtained by a limited number of experiments,
liable as these are to be invalidated by the introduction of
an unsuspected disturbing element.

QUESTION OF THE GENERATION DE NOVO OF LuNnG PLAGUE.
—This is the fundamentally important question with refer-
ence to the possibility of the final extinction of this disease
here or elsewhere. If the malady can and does originate on
this continent, no present outlay in money and no effort for
its present extinction can give us any guaranty of perma-
nent immunity. After we have rooted out the last existing
contagious germ new germs will still continue to appear, at
more or jess frequent intervals and in more or less remote
localities, demanding in every such case the repetition of the
work, of the outlay and suspense that have already repeatedly
taxed the energies of the nation. And if such a spontane-
ous generation of the germs be possible, new spontaneous
outbreaks of the disease must become increasingly common
as our waste lands become more uniformly settled, as our
farms become more fully and carefully tilled, and as the
herds of cattle become more numerous. When our present
stock of cattle shall have been doubled we shall have just
double the number of such outbreaks ; when trebled, quad-
rupled, and quintupled, so will the newly developed germs
and infected localities be three, four, or five times as many
as at present ; and the question might well arise whether the
nation could afford to continue the suppression of such an
uncertain, intangible and unconquerable enemy.

But if we can demonstrate that this plague has never been
shown to exist on the Western Continent, except at points
to which we can clearly trace the germs from the bodies of
infected animals imported from Europe; if we can show that
wherever such imported germs have been carefully destroyed
the plague has been definitely and finally exterminated ; and
if we can show that the testimony to this effect is not con-
fined to America, but that the long experience of Western
Europe and the more recent history of the disease in the
Southern Hemisphere show with equal clearness that this

Be ae

affection never appears in a new country save as the result
of imported infection, it follows that national measures for
its extinction are fully warranted and, indeed, imperatively
demanded. In this case the outlay of to-day is but a trifle
as compared with the vast sums that the present suppression
of the disease will so certainly save to the country in all fut-
ure time.

This subject is placed first as furnishing the raison détre
of the law which has been to some extent put in force dur-
ing the past year, and as being a matter which is apparently
no better understood by the general public to-day than it
was a year ago. Those great public educators, the daily
newspapers, still speak of the plague as inseparable from
feeding on distillery swill; and in place of recognizing the
fact that the infection is restricted to a very limited area on
the Atlantic seaboard, they affirm that “it has been found
wherever it has been sought for.” (See New York Herald,
April 19, 1880.)

Origin of the Iung Plaque in America.—Though the bo-
vine race represented by the buffalo have been undoubtedly
coeval with man on the Western Continent, and though do-
mesticated cattle have been in existence in all the settle-
ments since first introduced in the beginning of the sixteenth
century, the Lung Plague of cattle was unknown on these
shores until 1848. In that year Peter Dunn, a milkman
near South Ferry, Brooklyn, purchased a cow from an En-
glish ship and placed her with the rest of his herd. Some
weeks later this cow sickened and died, and infected other
cows in his stable. Irom this the plague soon spread to
other stables in the vicinity, including the great distillery
stables in Skillman St., and in a few years it had overrun
Brooklyn, New York, and Jersey City, and extended some-
what into the country. Many are still living who recollect
all the facts of the advent of the plague and of the ruinous
losses that overtook many of the unfortunate dairymen.

Wm. Meakim, of Flushing, informs us that his father,

=)

William Meakim, kept a large dairy at Bushwick, L. L,

Apes

which was infected in 1849 by the carelessness of an em-
ployee, who hauled a dead cow from a Brooklyn stable with
his (Meakim’s) working oxen. In a few weeks the oxen
sickened and died, followed by forty of his dairy cows in
the short space of three months. For the remaining twenty
years that he remained in the business he continued to lose
from six to ten cows yearly.

Twenty years ago (1859) Benjamin Albertson, of Queens,
L. L, purchased four cows from a herd from Herkimer Co.,
but which had been kept over night in the cattle market,
Sixtieth St., New York. These cows sickened soon after,
and conveyed the plague to his remaining herd of 100 head,
25 of which died in rapid succession and 19 more slowly.
He was left with but 60 out of a herd of 104 animals, and
these he sold into already infected Brooklyn stables.

Dr. Bathgate, of Fordham Ave. and 171st St., New York,
reports that in the same year (1859) his father’s herd of Jer-
seys contracted the Lung Plague by exposure to infection,
and that the disease prevailed in the herd for several years,
and until the infected buildings were accidentally burned.
He reports further that the plague has never been entirely
absent from the neighborhood since.

Cases of this kind might be recorded indefinitely. Enough
has been given, however, to show that with the advent of
Peter Dunn’s cow, purchased from the English ship, and of
the infection she carried, there came upon the cities clustered
around the port of New York a pestilence, which has never
since relaxed its hold on the bovine population. In the
Skillman St. (Brooklyn) stables alone, which were infected
in 1848, the plague prevailed as long as they stood, and its
prevalence there was reported by the Massachusetts Com-
missioners who visited this city in 1861. From that time
to this it has been constantly extending, not only in the
cities named, but through the cities and villages of New
Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, as
the demand for cows caused these to draw upon the market
of New York, or as the owners of infected herds saw fit

Aly a

to unload their dangerous property upon unsuspecting pur-
chasers in new and uninfected districts.

Where the plague was introduced into herds on inclosed
farms, the unfortunate owners of which were not so selfish
as to sell out the herd and infection to a new victim, the
duration of the pestilence was necessarily limited. Sooner
or later all the cattle on the place had passed through the
disease, and become proof against a second attack, and if no
calves were raised, as is the rule on farms supplying the
large cities with milk, and if no new stock was brought in,
the disease expired for the lack of fresh cattle capable of
contracting it. In the towns and villages the case was
altogether different. Here numerous herds mingled on open
commons and unfenced lots, so that infection spread easily
from herd to herd, and as fresh cows were being constantly
purchased to replace those that had become dry or fat, there
was at no time any lack of susceptible animals for the in-
fection to lay under its malignant spell.

Causes Influencing the Spread of the Lung Plague South-
ward.—A glance at the connections of New York southward
will show why the plague should have extended in this di-
rection rather than west or north. In the first place the
cities of Newark, Elizabeth, New Brunswick, Trenton,
Easton, Reading, Burlington, Germantown, Camden, Phila-
delphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington, Alexandria,
etc., drew their supplies of fresh dairy cows from the great
marts to which western cattle were sent. From the com-
paratively close proximity of these cities they respectively
drew their supplies from New York, Philadelphia or Balti-
more, according to which market was at any moment over-
stocked, so as to depreciate the value of the stock. Thus
Philadelphia and Baltimore were early infected from New
York and Jersey City, and once infected they reciprocated
freely by furnishing contaminated cattle to the market of
New York, whenever that market was poorly supplied, or
they themselves glutted. Thus, too, it soon came about
that all the lesser cities drew constant supplies of infection

140 =

from these three great plague-stricken centers. All of the
cities named were growing places with much unfenced land
laid out for building, or held by speculators in waiting for
purchasers, and upon these the herds of different owners
pastured in common, and infected each other, so that once
introduced the infection became permanent, and each city
became an independent pestilential center, from which the
plague extended in different directions at varying intervals.

If we trace the Erie Railroad westward we shall find that
beyond New Jersey there is no city for the space of 200
miles, and this, together with the fact that cattle could be
drawn so much more cheaply from the west, has hitherto
prevented the extension of pestilence westward. What few
infected cattle have found their way west along the line of
the Erie Railroad have gone upon inclosed farms, where
the plague reached its limit and died out, in place of finding
the malign conditions of unfenced grounds and pasturage in
common, which would inevitably have perpetuated it. The
non-infection of the west we owe not alone to the immense
cattle traffic from the west, and the fact that comparatively
few cattle follow a contrary course, but also to the barrier
of the Allegheny Mountains, and the entire absence of large
and growing towns and cities over along stretch of country.

If we follow the New York Central Railroad we find a
similar comparative absence of large cities, but we find be-
sides that the east bank of the Hudson is well fenced, so that
though the Lung Plague had been introduced, it would have
had less opportunity for permanence than in the district
south of New York. North of Yonkers, where the open
pasturages end, the plague has never gained a permanent
footing on the east bank of the Hudson.

On the Harlem Railroad there is a similar’ absence of
large cities and common open pasturages, and although the
plague has extended on this line as far north as the borders
of Dutchess Co., it has been more easy to deal with it than
where there was a common grazing ground for different
herds. From Mt. Vernon southward, however, the common

ey sa

pasturage was more or less in vogue, and with it the preva-
lence of the plague and the difficulty of dealing with it.

Along the New. Haven Railroad the condition of things
was more favorable to the propagation of the plague, and it
would have been certainly perpetuated in some of the cities
of Connecticut but that the State Cattle Disease Commis-
sion repeatedly interposed to stamp it out.

Extinction of the Inng Plague in Massachusetts.—Into
Massachusetts the Lung Plague was introduced in 1859 in
the bodies of four Dutch cows imported from Rotterdam by
Mr. Chenery, of Belmont. All four suffered from the dis-
ease, two having been very ill on arrival. Three died, the
fourth recovered, and the plague spread into nineteen towns
in five counties, and was only crushed out after five years of
uninterrupted effort on the part of a cattle commission
This work cost the State $67,511.07, and the different towns
$10,000 more; but this was a cheap investment, as the plague
has never since made its appearance in the commonwealth.

Evidence of the Non-existence of Lung Plague in the
West.—The fact that the Lung Plague has been unknown
in Massachusetts for the past fifteen years, as it was un-
known prior to the introduction of the four diseased Dutch
cows in 1859, speaks volumes for the freedom from the in-
fection of the great cattle-raising States of the west. At
the one cattle market at Brighton thousands of cattle arrive
weekly from the west, yet for fifteen years not only has no
cow nor lean beast brought this pestilence to the Massachu-
setts herds, but no ox has shown the characteristic disease
of the lungs when slaughtered. The same remark may be
made of Central and Western New York, and of all the
New England States north of Massachusetts. In a twelve
years’ residence at “ Cornell,” and with the widest acquaint-
ance of the herds of the State, [have never seen a case of
Lung Plague west of the Hudson excepting in one herd in
the vicinity of Newburg, to which the infection was brought
by a cow from New York city. Yet all over the State are
to be found cattle drawn from the west, and filling up the

eae

dairy and fattening herds of the Empire State. And al-
though these herds are frequently decimated, and some-
times all but exterminated by other diseases (Texas fever,
Malignant Anthrax, Tuberculosis, etc.), no such thing as
Lung Plague has ever appeared amongst them. The same
remarks apply to western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and,
indeed, all parts west of the Allegheny Mountains. Though
all supplied by the cattle from the west, all alike have
hitherto kept clear of the plague. The same is true of our
Gulf Coast States and Pacific States. No such plague has
appeared in any of these, though their cattle are multi-
plying by the million.

Non-cexistence of the Lung Plague in Other States of
America.—No Lung Plague has ever been found in any
other American state. Mexico, Central America, the West
Indian Islands, the South American republics, Brazil, and
even Canada have failed to import this Old World pesti-
lence, and all of them maintain to-day a perfect immunity.

Lang Plague not Indigenous to America.—From far-
reaching facts like the above it becomes certain that Amer-
ican soil has no such sad fecundity as to produce the germs
of the Lung Plague, for this affection has appeared at no
point of the continent where the descendants of the import-
ed European germs have not been first carried; and the dis-
ease is to-day confined to a narrow area on the Atlantic
coast, where the imported germs were planted, and where
the conditions favored its preservation and propagation.
The presence of the disease where the malign European in-
fection has been implanted, and its persistence and spread
there for thirty-seven years, when contrasted with the fact
of its entire absence from all other parts of the New World,
shows beyond dispute that the disease is the result of im-
ported virus, and of this alone. Cattle exist and have long
existed from Labrador to Brazil, and from Brazil to Pata-
gonia, in the most trying climates—arctie and torrid—and
under all conditions of life, and every form of abuse and
neglect; but in no one instance has this fatal plague been

(

generated on the Western Continent and propagated from
a new point independent of importation. Like the Canada
Thistle (Cirsiwm Arvense), the Lung Plague is an exotic,
dependent altogether upon the foreign seed for its existence,
and it could be as easily and permanently eradicated as the
thistle has been from Wisconsin and certain other States.

Lung Plague not Spontaneous in Africa and Australia.—
For many centuries the nations of Africa have owned herds
of cattle, being dependent on them for labor as well as for
meat and milk in those districts where the “tsetse” proves
so fatal to solipeds. Since the colonization of South Africa
by Europeans the settlers have imported many herds from
Europe, but until 1854 the Lung Plague was utterly un-
known. In that year, as testified by Rev. Mr. Lindley, a
missionary, a Dutch bull, imported by a gentleman of Cape
Town, manifested the plague six weeks after his arrival and
fourteen weeks after his shipment from Holland, and from
him the pestilence has since spread over the whole unfenced
ranges of Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Natal, Zululand,
Transvaal, etc. Here no such plague was known in all ante-
cedent time, but once introduced in the body of a single in-
fected animal it has desolated the whole southern part of
the continent.

When discovered, Australia was destitute of cattle. The
whole bovine stock is therefore the progeny of those intro-
duced by the colonists. On the rich native grasses and in
the exceptionally salubrious climate, the cattle throve and
multiplied until the name of Australian “squatter” became
a synonym for a man of wealth and influence. But in 1859
Mr. Boodle, of Melbourne, imported from England a Short-
horn cow, which fourteen days after its arrival from its
three months’ voyage manifested the symptoms of Lung
Plague. The whole herd was slaughtered and paid for by
public subscription, and his lands were inclosed and_pros-
cribed; but a teamster turned his oxen into the inclosures
under cover of night, the disease spread through their
means, and on the unfenced pastures it was found to be im-

== 60

possible to control it. No conditions produced the disease
until the importation of the infected English cow, but, after
the entrance of the infection, it received no check from the
healthful climate nor from the enforced slaughter of tens
of thousands of animals, and to-day the rich pastures of
Australia are ravaged by the pestilence.

Lung Plague not Spontaneous in the British Isles —In
Great Britain the pestilence was unknown in modern times
until in 1839, when it was imported into Cork, Ireland, in
the bodies of Dutch cattle sent to a friend by the British
Consul at the Hague. It spread rapidly over Ireland, and
entered England and Scotland before 1842. From this time
it has been kept up by constant accessions of disease from
the continent, brought in the cattle then for the first freely
admitted to the English markets.

Yet the striking fact remains that for the forty years
during which the plague has prevailed on the British Isles,
the Highlands of Scotland have kept clear of infection.
The explanation is found in the fact that native cattle are
bred in the Highlands and shipped thence to market, but no
strange cattle are ever introduced. The Highlands are the
coldest, bleakest, and most exposed parts of the island, the
places where lung diseases are above all to be expected; and
their exemption, while the more genial plains are ravaged
by the plague, shows plainly that the affection is no product
of Britain, but an exotic that has spread wherever the
foreign cattle and their infected victims have come.

No Evipence or Spontangeous Luna PiaGguEe 1n WEsT-
ERN HuRoPE.—

The Channel Islands.—Vhese, lying directly between the
infected shores of France and England and famed in all
times for the abundance and excellence of their cattle, have
never suffered from the Lung Plague for the very sufficient
reason that no strange cattle are allowed on the islands.

Spain and Portugal—These countries, lying out of the
line of cattle traffic from Eastern Europe, and accustomed
to breed and export cattle, but to import none, have hitherto
kept free from this as from other cattle plagues.

a

Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein, Olden-
burg, Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Switzerland.—These are
countries into which the Lung Plague has been introduced
at different times, but from which it has been completely
expelled by well-directed suppressive measures.

Extinction of Iung Plague a National Duty.—From all
that has been said it follows with certainty that this plague
has never been known to arise spontaneously in Western
Europe, and that out of the center of the Eastern Continent,
to use the words of the immortal Haller, “the disease never
appears but as the result of the introduction into a country
or district of an animal from an infected place.” This being
granted it must be allowed that it is quite possible to eradi-
cate from the United States the deadly virus which has
been introduced from the Old World and maintained by
continuous descent in the bodies of our home herds. The
disease being produced by infection, and by infection only, it
results of necessity that if we can limit that infection we shall
in the same ratio limit the ravages of the plague, and it we
can render infection impossible, we render impossible the
continued existence of the pestilence in our midst.

Morrariry.—In estimating the mortality from this plague,
we will meet with the most varied results according to the
conditions of life and as to whether we take the ratio of
deaths in infected herds, or in the whole cattle of a district
or country. Loiset states the losses for the entire bovine
population of the département du Nord, France, at 40 per
cent. per annum, divided as follows: In city dairies 26 per
cent., in distillery and sugar factory stables 12 per cent.,
and on farms 2 per cent. Here the deaths are in exact ratio
with the frequent: changes of stock, and the exposure of
new and susceptible animals to infection. In the Nord in
19 years it had killed 212,800 beasts of a total value of 52,-
000,000 francs (over $10,000,000).

Yvart gives the losses in infected herds only, in Avignon,
Cantal and Lozére at 30, 40, 50, 60, and even 77 per cent.
(average 35 per cent.).

oo

Gamgee gives the losses in the city of Edinburgh in
1861-2 at over 58 per cent., and the money loss at £14,512
($70,000). Finlay Dun shows from the English Cattle In-
surance Co, statistics that the losses from this plague from
1863 to 1866 were 50 to 63 per cent. per annum. The losses
for the British Isles, computed from agricultural statistics,
the records of insurance companies, etc., were close upon
£2,000,000 ($10,000,000) per annum.

In Holland Sauberg reports a yearly loss of 49,661 head,
while in Wiirtemberg it amounted to 39 per cent.

Mortality Greater in Warm Climates and Seasons.—My.
Lindley reports that in the hot climate of South Africa it is
no uncommon thing to find a whole herd of 100 or 200 cat-
tle perish without exception, and other colonists have fur-
nished me personally with accounts precisely similar. With
these agree our experiences with the disease in the summer
season in New York. When we entered on our work in Feb-
ruary, 1879, it was loudly claimed by a party of obstruc-
tionists that the affection was the simple result of exposure
to the changeable weather, and to the transitions from the
hot, close, reeking stable to the chilly blasts out of doors.
But from June onward, so long as the really hot weather
lasted, the number of victims in a herd was greatly increased,
the cases succeeded each other with a hitherto unexampled
rapidity, and nearly every case proved severe and rapid in
its course, so that death frequently resulted in two or three
days after the animal was noticed to be ill. In our cool,
dry winters the course of the disease is mild, so that the
patients survive for weeks, and even months, often becom-
ing frightfully emaciated and presenting the spectacle of
walking skeletons; whereas in the burning summer and
autumn death often comes so speedily that the carcass may
present the round, plump, fat appearance of an animal that
has died suddenly by accident. Of this high summer mor-
tality, the cases of Meakim and Albertson (pages 45 and 46)
are illustrative examples. As further illustrating this point:
Joseph Schwab, 149th St. and Southern Boulevard, New

i

York, bought a cow, which soon sickened and infected his
herd, so that he lost twenty-three head in two months, and
but seven recovered. In autumn, 1878, Bischoff, Long Island
City, bought four cows of a dealer, all of which sickened,
and only one was saved. Mr. Valentine, of Jamaica, L, I,
bought some infected cows from two Brooklyn dealers, and
by August, 1879, his herd was so badly diseased that we
were compelled to slaughter the whole. Patrick McCabe
bought five cows from a dealer; sickness appeared among
them six weeks later. He lost the whole five, and within
two months thereafter four more that he had laid in later.

The Losses must Increase as the Plague Reaches the
Warmer States.—It is needless to multiply instances suclf as
those given above. A mortality of seventy, eighty, or ninety
per cent. in South Africa, and in the warm season in New
York, implies that we should suffer an equal mortality in the
Southern States throughout the greater part of the year,
and in the hot summers of the Mississippi Valley, so that no
estimate of losses deduced from the statistics of England or
Western Europe will furnish fair data for estimating our
own in case of a general infection of the United States.
England, with 6,000,000 head of cattle, has lost $10,000,000
a year for forty years past. We, with 37,000,000 head,
should therefore lose $60,000,000, plus the extra losses con-
sequent on the spread of the plague in the semi-tropical sum-
mers of Texas, the Mississippi Valley, and the plains, where
the great bulk of our cattle is kept.

Present Losses from the Iung Plague in the United States.
—Of the present losses from the Lung Plague in the United
States two items may be quoted as being more tangible than
such incidental ones as the losses of pasture, fodder, build-
ings, current business, and prospective increase of stock.
The items referred to are the depreciation of our beef in the
English market and the losses by death in our home herds.
The difference in value of American cattle when, as at pres-
ent, compulsorily slaughtered at the port of debarkation,
and when they can be moved inland and held for a market,

ss BG ae

is variously stated at from $7 to $10 per head in favor of
the latter. From the port of New York alone the shipments
during 1879 amounted to 95,380 head, which are therefore
depreciated in value to the extent of $800,000. If we add
the exports from Portland, Boston, Philadelphia, and Balti-
more there must be a gross depreciation of no less than
$1,500,000 per annum. The yearly losses from deaths in
our herds cannot be less than $500,000 more, so that in these
two items alone we are probably losing $2,000,000 per
annum, though the plague has invaded but the merest frag-
ment of our immense territory.

Mepiate Conraaion.—As our observations throw some
light on this disputed question, a few illustrations may be
given to show that direct contact is not essential to infection.

Infection through the Air.—\t has long been noticed that
successive victims in the same buildings are not attacked in
the order in which they stand, but that the plague usually
passes over two or three cattle to strike down a more sus-
ceptible subject at a greater distance. We have also no-
ticed repeatedly that when the-cattle of different owners
stood under the same roof, but separated by a board parti-
tion, that infection spread quickly from the one to the
other, though it was impossible for them to come in contact.

And yet a free dilution in the air seems to destroy the
contagium in avery short distance. At Ridgewood, Queens
Co., in the spring and summer of 1879 the herd of T. Ryan
was almost exterminated’ by the Lung Plague, as many as
twenty head having perished ; while over the fence, in a
building not over forty feet distant, the herd of George Van
Size kept healthy throughout. Réll quotes instances of
infection at fifty and one hundred feet, and others at two
hundred and even three hundred ; but in such cases there is
always the possibility of the conveyance of the virus on
light objects like paper, hay, straw, etc., blown by the wind,
or on the surface of men or animals.

Contagion through the Clothes of Attendants.—1. In Feb-
ruary, 1879, Ditmas Jewell, of Kast New York, interested

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himself in the cause of the suffering milkmen, and daily
visited several of the worst infected stables in the locality.
He also paid a good deal of attention to a favorite Jersey
cow of his own, which was kept in a stable surrounded by
spacious grounds and was never allowed to go out. In the
end of March she sickened and died of Lung Plague.

2. Joseph Hyde, Seventieth St. and North River, New
York, had lost twenty cows in four months, in the spring
and summer of 1879, and was allowed to put up a new sta-
ble for fresh cows, two lots distant from his former one, on
condition that separate attendants should be furnished for
the two stables. The fresh cows were all from healthy
country districts and the stable was built of new wood, yet
a month later the plague showed itself in that as well. It
was then found that the attendants in the different stables
had helped each other in the owner’s absence. As showing
that the infection was not conveyed through the air, the
lot between Hyde’s two stables was occupied by the house
and cow stable of a different party, whose stock kept sound
throughout.

3. George Youngblood, Little Britain, Orange Co., sent a
cow to New York by the Newburg boat May 29. She
never left the pier, nor came in contact with other cattle
except those coming by the boats from healthy country dis-
tricts, but, like others, was handled by milkmen and dealers.
She was taken back by the Newburg boat the same day she
arrived (May 30), and two weeks later she sickened with
Lung Plague, and conveyed it to Youngblood’s herd. ‘The
cow was sent back to New York for sale September 30,
when she was killed as a diseased animal, and nearly a third
of one lung was found to be necrosed and encysted. (For
other cases see my Report to General Patrick, presented to
the Legislature.)

To deny the spread of the disease by this channel, as has
been done, and to act upon this, is but to offer facilities for
the plague to extend its ravages, and to render doubtful or

impossible its final extinction.
5

ae He

Contagion through Infected Buildings.—Beside the fact,
notorious in all countries where Lung Plague prevails, that
dealers’ stables are the grand foci of infection, and that
animals sold by dealers are the most prolific causes of its
spread, it may be well to name one or two instances in which
empty infected stables served to propagate the pestilence.

1. John Miller, Farmingdale, L. I., on January 1, 1879,
got from a dealer a cow which soon sickened and died.
Soon after he bought another cow, which speedily died in
her turn. Later he got a calf from the healthy stock of a
neighbor ; but it, too, sickened and died, and the stable was
left tenantless.

2. Messrs. Niedlinger, Schmidt & Co., 406 E. Twenty-
seventh St., New York, lost a cow from Lung Plague Au-
gust, 1878. Three months later another cow was placed in
the same stable, soon began to do poorly, and after a whole
year (August 18, 1879) died of Lung Plague.

3. Patrick Green, West Farms, N. Y., entered the Bleach
in April, 1879, and stocked it with thirty-two cows fresh
from a healthy district. About May 1 sickness appeared in
his herd, and then he learned that the tenant of the previous
year had lost heavily with Lung Plague. Eleven of the
stock had to be sacrificed before the disease was finally
arrested.

4, Mr. John H. Cheever purchased of Mr. Odell a farm
at Yonkers, on which a cow had died of Lung Plague one
month before. In the end of September, 1879, he moved
on fifteen favorite Jerseys from the Tilly Foster Mine farm,
near Brewsters, placing them in the infected stables. Soon
the plague attacked the Jerseys, and all died or were slaugh-
tered.

Such cases could be adduced in great number ; but these
must suflice to show the urgent necessity for the thorough
disinfection of stables, yards, cars, boats of all kinds, load-
ing-banks, piers, etc., etc., where infected cattle have been,
in order to a permanent extinction of this plague. This
disinfection should of course be the more thorough the

me

closer the infected building and the greater the accumula-
tion of rubbish, fodder, ete., in which the virus may find a
resting place. With free exposure to the open air disinfec-
tion takes place naturally and early.

Contagion through the Food.—1, Contagion through
pastures is exceedingly rare. In the open air and in cli-
mates with frequent alternations of rain and sunshine, at
seasons when the virus, like other organic matter, is not
locked up in frost, a spontaneous disinfection takes place in
avery short period. But with continuous frost or with a
very dry, rainless climate the infection may be preserved
for an indefinite length of time. A striking instance of the
conveyance of the infection through pastures in a dry cli-
mate is furnished in the infection of Australia (page 51).
The working oxen put upon the pastures where the sick
cattle had been were themselves infected, and became the
means of infecting the entire country.

The same is unquestionably often re-enacted during the
dry seasons of our infected States, on the common or un-
fenced pasturages on which the herds of different owners
graze successively. It has been a common practice for boys
to watch such herds in order to keep them apart and prevent
infection ; but as they are allowed to browse successively on
the same soil, the virus is transmitted and the disease spreads,
in spite of this precaution, precisely as it did at the start of
the plague in Australia.

The significance of such results cannot be overestimated.
It has been amply shown above that the one great cause
of the perpetuation of the plague on this continent has been
the mingling of cattle on unfenced grounds; and it is now
clear that it is not the mingling alone, but also the pastur-
age on the same place successively that is particularly dan-
gerous. The contrast in results, as seen on a large scale, is
sufficiently important to be quoted. In New Jersey and
Pennsylvania, where the use of common unfenced pastur--
ages was allowed, the Lung Plague is still very widely prev-
alent, after a year’s work for its extermination. In New

York wherever it was possible to prevent such common past-
urage the plague was definitely exterminated, though for
half of the year lack of means prevented the prosecution of
the work of extinction so vigorously as could be wished.
Six out of eight infected counties were virtually cleared,
and the seventh (Queens Co.) was also purified, except on
its border adjoining Brooklyn (Kings Co., the eighth). In
Brooklyn alone did the plague continue with little mitiga-
tion, for in Brooklyn the Aldermen passed an ordinance
authorizing pasturage in common on unfenced lots, in defi-
ance of the State law, and abolished the cattle pounds ; and
in Brooklyn the police magistrates dismissed delinquents
brought before them for violation of the State law, and rep-
rimanded the officers who arrested them. The future may
be predicted from the past. If the other infected States
continue to allow the propagation of the plague by the com-
mon use of unfenced pasturages, and to allow cattle of all
kinds to mingle and infect each other in their markets, they
may spend hundreds of thousands on suppressive measures,
but the plague will survive and the nation will continue to
lose its millions annually ; whereas the loss now sustained in
a single year, if faithfully and intelligently applied, would
forever rid the country of the pestilence. If the Brooklyn
city officials are to be allowed to defy the law in the fature,
as in the past, the splendid success of the first year’s work
outside that plague-spot will not be consummated for the
entire commonwealth, but appropriations will be demanded ;
and an expensive guardianship must be maintained year
after year, with the greatest uncertainty as to the final ex-
tinction of the virus.

2. “ Swill.” That “swill” is not the cause of Lung Plague
is well enough known to all who have made a study of the
affection, Distillers’? and brewers’ “swill” is fed in all the
large western cities, where the Lung Plague is absolutely
unknown, ‘The same is true of swill-fed cattle kept in in-
fected districts, but which have never been exposed to con-
tagion. For three months in the end of 1879, and three

a

en

= ¢] =

more in the beginning of 1880, over 700 western steers were
kept in the Blissville distillery stables that had proved so
fatal in the spring of 1879. The stables had meanwhile
been thoroughly disinfected, and the greatest precautions
were taken to shut up all channels of infection, and not one
of these steers contracted Lung Plague. Yet the popular
prejudice against swill is not devoid of foundation. To the
distillery stables gravitate cattle from all regions, for fatten-
ing. If Lung Plague exists in the district such stables
therefore become early infected, just as dealers’ stables do
in the same localities. In the swill stables the warmth and
close, reeking atmosphere greatly favor the preservation of
the virus and its conveyance from beast to beast. But it is
further to be noted that in these stables the stock is arranged
in rows, and a whole row of fifteen to twenty cattle is fed
from the same trough. The trough is gently inclined from
end to end, and the liquid swill runs into the trough from a
pipe at the one end, and slowly passes in front of each ani-
mal in succession to the other. If a sick beast stands in
such a row, the infected breath blows on the passing liquid
and the virulent expectorations drop into the feed, to be car-
ried on, to be inhaled and swallowed by all susceptible ani-
mals farther on in the same row. It may be that the virus
introduced into the stomach is harmless, as implied in a sol-
itary experiment at the Alfort Veterinary College; yet as
cattle breathe on their food there cannot be a doubt that
the virulent matter in swill, as in other fodder, makes its
way to the lungs in the breath, and that infection from this
food takes place in the ordinary way.

THe Lune Pracur Pscuttar to Bovine ANIMALS.—
While cattle of all kinds are susceptible to the virus of Lung
Plague, this susceptibility is limited to the bovine family.
In the zoological gardens of Europe buffaloes and yaks, ete.,
have fallen victims to it, but in no instance has it been
shown to extend to the smaller ruminants (sheep, goats,
deer). This is the more remarkable that the small ruminants
have often mingled freely in pastures and even in close build-

ings with cattle suffering from this complaint. In this
respect, therefore, the Lung Plague differs essentially from
the other great scourges of cattle—Rinderpest, Aphthous
Fever, Anthrax, Tuberculosis, and Milk-sickness.

IncupatTion, 11s Liwirs.—The occasionally prolonged pe-
riod of incubation, during which the virus remains dormant
in the system of an infected animal, is one of the most
redoubtable features of this disease, and demands from the
official sanitarian a series of precautions which are not re-
quired in other cattle plagues. While incubation may be
as short as six days in hot weather, it may none the less be
extended to sixty days (Delafond, Verheyen), sixty-seven
days (French Commission), ninety days (Reynal), or 104
(Roll, Gamgee).

In support of the last-named period three remarkable in-
stances of the infection of new countries may be named.

Norway.—In 1860 some Ayrshire cattle were imported to
the Agricultural College of Aas, direct from Scotland.
Three months later some of them were noticed sick, and the
country was only saved by the slaughter of all native stock
with which they had come in contact, and the long seclusion
of the surviving Ayrshires, so that danger of infection from
them might be obviated.

Australia.—In 1858 a Shorthorn cow that had been three
months at sea was landed at Melbourne, and a fortnight
later she manifested the Lung Plague. This was 104 days
after shipment from England, and the nature of the disease
is only too sadly certified by the steady extension of the
plague over Australia from the date in question.

South Africa.—In 1854 a Dutch bull was landed at Cape
Town, after having passed two months at sea. Six weeks
after his arrival he showed signs of Lung Plague, and from
him the pestilence spread to the whole of South Africa, and
still prevails. Here again was an interval of 104 days from
the time of shipment in Holland to the first manifestation
of the disease in Cape Colony.

To these may be added some instances that happened

ee

7 Eee

—-—

SS

Lege

under our own observation, and the first two of which are
as clear and unequivocal as the instances above mentioned.

In East Lothian, Scotland, in 1855, a farmer who had
had his stock clear of disease for years, purchased a cow,
which for three months after purchase kept in low condi-
tion, and occasionally knuckled over at the fetlock as if
rheumatic, but fed and milked well. At the end of ninety
days she was taken with Lung Plague, and conveyed it to
all the cattle on the farm. There was no other Lung
Plague in the neighborhood, nor had there been for a length
of time.

Josiah Rogers, of Sag Harbor, Suffolk Co., N. Y., whose
herd had been exposed by contact with a cow from an in-
fected herd, but which did not herself show sickness, turned
a cow out on the grounds of Montauk April 28,1879. On
August 10 she was found suffering from the Lung Plague,
and was slaughtered in consequence. This was 104 days
after she had left the home herd, and probably 110 or more
after she had taken in the germs of the plague. The cow
would not have been left to sicken on Montauk but that she
was entered in the name of Mr. Rogers’ son, and her con-
nection with an exposed herd thus failed to be recognized.
Four more of Mr. Rogers’ herd suffered at home, and one
after it had been sold and removed to Old Westburg,
Queens Co., the sale having been made before we had any
knowledge of disease in Suffolk Co. This cow sickened
forty-nine days after she had left Rogers’ place.

Messrs. Niedlinger, Schmidt & Co., 406 East Twenty-
seventh St., New York, had a cow die of Lung Plague
August, 1878. Three months later a fresh cow was put in
the same stable (without disinfection). She did poorly
since, and August 18, 1879, was found to have Lung Plague
and was sacrificed. A case like this is inconclusive, as we
cannot tell the date of infection from the contaminated
stable; but in the continued unthriftiness it bears a striking
resemblance to the Scotch case quoted above, and if it can-
not be advanced as an incubation of nine months, it shows

oe

the great danger of passing as sound animals that have
been in an infected and uncleansed building, though no act-
ive disease may have been shown there for many months.

John MecGuigen, 173d St. and Central Avenue, New
York, purchased in July, 1879, a fresh cow which milked
well but looked unthrifty for five months. He had had no
Lung Plague before, and purchased no new cows in the
interval, yet in the end of November, 1879, she sickened and
died a most characteristic case of the plague.

These two last cases are not advanced as proof of such
protracted incubation, for in an infected city it is possible
that the virus was conveyed to them by visitors. Yet their
continued unthriftiness, so like what appears in certain
other cases of prolonged incubation or delayed development
of the plague, makes them specially suggestive, and should
make observers watchful for other cases in which the incu-
bation may possibly have exceeded the present certified limit
of 104 days.

Official Action in View of such Prolonged Incubation.—
Seeing that the germs may be carried in the system of the
infected animal unseen and undetectable for 104 days (fif-
teen weeks), it follows that, to secure stock against danger
from a single animal coming from an infected district, such
animal should be secluded in quarantine under special attend-
ants for this period of time. In the case of a single animal
arriving from a foreign country, he should be detained at
the port or landing until the expiry of fifteen weeks from
the date of shipment from the foreign port. With herds
more latitude may be given ; forif infection should be pres-
ent it is almost certain that the incubation will be shorter
in some, and thus symptoms will be shown at an earlier
date. Yet a period of detention of ninety days cannot be
safely abridged. In case of the transportation of cattle
from infected States and districts a quarantine for at least
the same length of time is essential, while in the case of
single animals it cannot be considered as protective unless
it has been extended to 104 days.

eS

= 65

As the different States have not recognized the need of |
veterinary sanitary specialists to direct their suppressive
measures, the most egregious blunders in this respect have
been committed in practice.

In the autumn of 1879 two herds of cattle from infected
Holland were entered at the port of New York, examined
by the New Jersey officials, and at once sent on to Illinois
to mingle with herds from which sales were being constantly
made, and even to be carried around and exhibited at vari-
ous State fairs.

The same New Jersey authorities kept on their frontier
inspectors with instructions to examine all cattle coming
from the infected regions of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and
Maryland, to turn back all the diseased, but to allow the
sound to enter. It was well, truly, to shut out the actu-
ally sick; but where was the protection when cattle from
infected herds, and bearing diseased germs which would
not manifest themselves for one to three months to come,
were allowed free entrance?

In Pennsylvania the attention of the officials seems to
have been confined to the quarantining of infected herds and
the slaughter of the incurably sick, and there is reason to
believe that in many cases the quarantine was raised at far
too early a date. In Pennsylvania, as in New Jersey, store
and fat cattle from all quarters—infected and otherwise—
were admitted together or successively into the same stock-
yard for sale. In short, suppressive measures were largely
restricted to the dealing with herds after they had become
infected, while the main sources of the pestilence, the cattle
coming from infected districts and those sold in infected
markets, were left free to carry disease into new herds.

To crown this series of blunders, the present officials of
New Jersey threaten those of New York with litigation in
the Supreme Court of the United States, with the view of
forcing the latter to admit New Jersey store cattle into the
New York markets. Had these officials had an intimate
acquaintance with every herd in New Jersey for six months

=<

past, there would have been a shadow of reason in their
course ; but, having just come into control of the veterinary
sanitary work, the best construction that can be put upon
their course is that they are wofully ignorant of the subject,
and are judging this disease from some supposed but unreal
analogy with certain plagues of men, in which incubation
does not extend over a few days.

Some of the officials in question claim special credit for
husbanding the country’s money, and it is claimed that
Pennsylvania has expended less than $3,000 in indemnities
for slaughtered cattle. No reflection could be more con-
demnatory of their system. In place of a vigorous plan of
extinction founded on an intimate knowledge of the plague,
and which bars all channels for its further diffusion, while
the infection that is already in existence is being remorse-
lessly stamped out, they adopt measures that are defective
at every step; and, while they restrict the pestilence at one
point, they actually favor its spread to other parts of their
territory and that of their neighbors. They cut down a few
shoots that have already grown up into plants, but pay no
attention to the incessant sowing of the same noxious seed
going on all around them, They save a few thousand dol-
lars to the treasuries of their respective States, but in doing
so they are perpetuating the Lung Plague on the continent
at a present cost of $2,000,000 per annum to the nation (see
page 56), and they are every day endangering the spread of
the plague to our Southern and Western cattle ranges at a
prospective loss of $60,000,000 per annum (see page 55).
An economy which puts men who are unacquainted with a
plague in charge of the measures to be carried out for its
extermination is the most reprehensible misappropriation of
public money, since it leads the people to believe that all
necessary precautions are being taken, while in fact it is but
maintaining a heavy expense with no adequate result.

TENDENCY TO THE ENcystinG or Drap Masszs or Lune.
—The limits allotted to this article will not allow a consid-
eration of the distinctive symptoms and pathological lesions

——— ee

See

of this disease (for this see my Lung Plague, or my Report
for 1879); but there is one pathological feature of this com-
plaint with such all-important bearings that it cannot be
passed over unnoticed: This is the constant tendency to the
death of large portions of the lung by the plugging of its
blood-vessels, and to the inclosure of such necrosed masses
in a complete fibrous cyst formed by the organization of the
surrounding exudation. The blood-vessels leading to a par-
ticular group of lobules become implicated in the inflamma-
tion even to their internal coats ; the blood contained within
them immediately coagulates ; the normal circulation in such
parts ceases ; the blood that filters into their capillaries from
those adjacent loses its liquid portion by quick transudation
through the coats of the vessels, so that they are left filled
to repletion with blood-globules only ; the circulation and
life in such parts cease, and around their margin where the
blood still circulates the exudation is slowly built up into
fibrous tissue, forming a complete and unbroken envelope in
ease of recovery The imprisoned mass of dead lung, com-
pletely excluded from contact with air and aérial germs,
does not putrefy, and never exhales aseptic odor. It under-
goes a slow metamorphosis through its contained cells and
granules into a purulent liquid, which is absorbed with equal
tardiness. The liquefactive metamorphosis commences at
the surface, separating the dead mass from the sac, so that
it appears for the future as a great solid nucleus floating in
avariable amount of purulent fluid. When large masses are
encysted in this way it may be over a year before the whole
has been liquefied and removed, and not unfrequently after
nine months the outline of lobules, air-tubes, blood-vessels,
and nerves can still be traced with ease in the necrosed lung.

The important bearing of this is related to the lack of all
putrefaction or other important changes in the mass of ne-
crosed lung, which, in the absence of such metamorphosis,
remains an encysted mass of infecting material so long as it
continues solid and unchanged. To the average mind—and
even to the medical one who has made no special study of

|

this disease—the danger even of infection seems past when
the patient has for some time resumed its appetite, rumina-
tion, milking, natural breathing, and, above all, its disposi-
tion to lay on fat. Yet the majority of patients that have
apparently recovered carry within their chests the encysted
necrosed masses above described ; and so long as these
remain they cannot be considered otherwise than as exceed-
ingly dangerous to other stock. It is true that the bearers
of these encysted masses will often stand for months beside
other cattle without infecting them ; but it is none the less
true that each bears within its chest a sealed-up store of.
infection, and there is only wanted a breach or change in
the surrounding fibrous envelope to allow the deadly virus
to escape.

Instances of Infection from Encysted Necrosed Lung.—
Charles Reeves, Success, Suffolk Co., N. Y., bought two
calves from the infected Isaac Billard herd about January,
1879. They did badly. In June he lost several animals in-
fected from these, and on July 19 I visited his place and
found a cow, a steer, and a calf infected from the same
source.

George Patrick, Patterson, Putnam Co., purchased a cow
in February, 1879, which sickened in April, but recovered.
Others died in June, July, and August. On Sept. 15 I found
four sick and had them disposed of ; and Oct. 15, when the
whole herd was slaughtered, the cow that had recovered in
April was found to carry still a solid encysted mass as large
as an egg. ‘This is more interesting as showing the long re-
tention of the encapsuled mass, even after a very mild case,
than as positive proof of the infection from this source.

R. Braun, Lorimer St., Brooklyn, had a yearling heifer
that had been kept in the Blissville distillery stables prior to
their quarantine in Feb., 1879. Her infection, therefore,
dated back to January. July 26 he applied for a_per-
mit to send this heifer to the country, but on examina-
tion she was found to carry a large mass of encysted lung.
She was sent to the slaughter-house, being in fine condition,

= 60

and a large encysted mass was found as expected. On
August 22 a fine Shorthorn cow that had been sent from a
healthy district through our inspection yards direct to
Braun’s stable was found very ill with Lung Plague, and
had to be slaughtered.

In place of furnishing further cases of my own it may be
well to quote one from another source confirmatory of mine.

In the Récueil de Médecine Vétérinaire, March, 1879, M.
Raboiiam records the case of an ox supposed to have chronic
bronchitis, and brought from a stable where Lung Plague
formerly prevailed, transmitting the disease to the healthy
stock of his purchaser.

The dangers from animals bearing these encysted masses
are hardly less than from those still in the incubative stage
of the disease. Be it understood that many cattle that bear
such masses have natural pulse, temperature, and breathing,
will lay on flesh, or yield as many as fifteen quarts of milk
per day ; and it can be easily perceived how such animals
will change hands, and pass into fresh and susceptible herds
without any consciousness of wrong on the part of either
buyer or seller. Such animals may any day carry infection
from State to State, or from the infected States to our un-
fenced Territories, where, owing to the constant commin-
gling of herds, it will be impossible to eradicate the virus.
Many such cases can with difficulty be detected even by the
most carefully conducted professional examination ; much
less are they likely to be recognized in the hurried examina-
tions that can be given to a large number of animals at a
frontier. In short, these chronic cases with encysted ne-
crosed lung and the long period of incubation of the Lung
Plague condemn absolutely the passage of animals on a mere
examination and without the attendant quarantine of three
months. Cattle for immediate slaughter may be passed
under such precautions as shall prevent their contact with
or proximity to store cattle; but the passage of store cattle
on examination only betrays the unfitness for his office of
him who prescribes it.

— 70—

The same considerations show the utter inadequacy of any
measures that fail to reach every infected locality and every
infected herd, and to prevent the shipment of any cattle
from any infected district.

To have suppressive measures effectual, either there must
be a central controlling Federal authority that will grapple
intelligently with the plague in every State, district, and
herd simultaneously, and thus prevent its spread ; or every
State bordering on an infected one, or having maritime com-
mercial relations with it, must impose a three months’ quar-
antine‘on all cattle from such infected State. The folly of
the present system is stupendous, and the common markets
for store and fat cattle from infected and healthy districts,
the passage of animals from an infected State on a simple
examination, and the threats of one class of officials of fore-
ing upon their neighbors the stock from their infected ter-
ritory furnish a spectacle that is a disgrace to the intelli-
gence and science of the nineteenth century, and a travesty
on all national sanitation.

Vatur or Fumications with Sutpuurous Acrp.—As a
disinfectant for Lung Plague no better agent exists than
sulphurous acid, produced by burning flowers of sulphur in
the contaminated building. But the value of this agent is
perhaps even greater as a prophylactic agent for cattle that
have been exposed to the contagion. Ishall quote but three
illustrative cases, and refer the reader for further evidence
to my feport for 1879.

Timothy Ryan, Ridgewood, L. I, kept on an average
twenty-five cows, and had lost twenty head within the year.
The stables were so thoroughly saturated with infecting
materials that our own inspectors and eminent veterinarians
from a distance concluded that it would be impossible to
disinfect the premises. The wooden flooring was replaced
by new, a quantity of filth was removed from beneath, the
soil was sprinkled with quicklime, and the building white-
washed with chloride of lime. Whitewashing had been
resorted to before, but with no good result. On June 15,

ee 2 ao

1879, he commenced fumigating the cows twice daily with
sulphurous acid, and, although he had some fresh and sus-
ceptible cows in the stable, not one more contracted the
plague.

Patrick Green, West Farms, New York Co., entered in-
fected premises in April, and by July had lost by the plague
twelve out of a herd of thirty-two head. After the sickness
appeared the cattle were kept at pasture to avoid the in-
fected buildings and secure pure air; but as the plague con-
tinued, I now directed him to turn the herd into the build-
ings for half an hour twice a day, and make them breathe
as much sulphur smoke as they could bear without violent
coughing. From that time not one more case of the plague
developed.

James Cowan, Yonkers, in April, 1879, bought a cow from
Hog Hill, which infected his herd. By July 12 he had lost
eight out of a herd of twenty-three, notwithstanding that
they were kept in the open field and fed tonics (including
sulphate of iron), Inow enjoined him to turn them into the
stables twice daily, and fumigate for half an hour each time
with sulphurous acid. This was done, and not another case
of sickness occurred.

A wide experience enables me to place a high value on
this measure as an auxiliary to the slaughter of the sick and
the purification of the premises by aqueous disinfectants.
To its proper application certain conditions are indispensa-
ble: 1. All virulent matters in the buildings, drains, manure
heaps, ete., must be destroyed. 2. No animal with manifest
disease must be retained in the herd, nor have access to it or
its pasturage. Chronic cases with necrosed encysted lungs
must be removed, as well as the acutely diseased. 3. The
attendants should not be allowed near diseased animals, 4.
The buildings must be close enough to confine the fumes of
sulphurous acid so that it may be breathed of sufficient
strength for half an hour in succession each time. 5. The
administrator must be intelligent and reliable, and must
shut himself in with the animals, so that he may watch the

ae

result and push the production of the gas as far as the ani-
mals can breathe without irritation, and at the same time be
ready to open doors and windows and admit the air prompt-
ly in case of an overdose.

Suppression oF Luna PLaGurE on THE LarcE Common
Pasture or Monraux.—On May 7, 1879, while on a visit
to infected herds in Suffolk Co. I learned that some yearlings
from the same herd that had infected the county had been
turned out on the great pasture of Montauk, a stretch of
12,000 acres at the east end of Long Island, on which were
1,100 head of cattle, the property of about 200 owners. As
the yearlings from the infected herd were alleged to be
sound we had no power to act until the passage of a bill
then pending, which empowered us to deal with animals
that had been exposed to infection. On May 21 and 22
twenty head of cattle—all that could be traced to the in-
fecting herd or to herds with which cattle from the infect-
ing one had mingled—were killed, about half of those that
were opened showing the disease in the chronic form. Two
more cases of sickness occurred on the range on July 15 and
August 10 respectively, both in cattle that had had commu-
nication with the infecting herd, though this information
had been withheld at the earlier slaughter. Aside from
them the whole herd had escaped. The reasons of our
unprecedented success in Montauk are manifestly these:
1. The Montauk pasture was large enough to allow ten acres
to every animal. 2. The cattle belonged to many different
owners, in lots of from one to fifty head. The cattle of dif-
ferent owners, being strange to each other, herded widely
apart, so that there was virtually no chance of infection
from the herd of one owner to that of another. 3. They
were never yarded nor turned into buildings en masse, so as
to concentrate the virus. 4. There was no meeting at any
common watering place, for ponds abound all over the
range. 5. Whenever a herd was known to have had any
communication with cattle from the infected herd, such
herd was slaughtered without exception. 6. The two cattle

EE ee

that suffered later in the season were the only cattle from
their respective owners, and had never herded with any
other stock on the range.

Had these cattle been crowded more closely on a smaller
pasture ; had they pastured successively on the same ground ;
had they been frequently rounded up, yarded, or stabled ;
had they all been watered from a common pond or trough ;
had they been accustomed to meet to eat grain or salt from
troughs ; or had they become acquainted so as to congregate
at night in one vast herd, as occurs on Montauk later in the
season, it would have been impossible to prevent infection.
The prevalence of this plague for ages on the unfenced
steppes of the Old World, and for decades on the open
ranges of South Africa and Australia, in defiance of all the
efforts of owners and governments, shows only too clearly
that in all but very exceptional conditions the advent of
this plague to such unfenced territory means its spread and
permanent prevalence in such a district. It is but repeating
on a large scale what has for thirty-seven years preserved
and extended the infection on our own eastern seaboard,
and what must continue to maintain it until common pastur-
age is abolished. Our Montauk triumph gives no hope of
the extermination of the plague from our great grazing
lands in case they should become infected, so that the immi-
nent risk of infecting these means the risk of imposing a
perpetual annual tax on the nation of $60,000,000 and up-
ward. ‘

ReEsutts oF ONE YeAR’s Lasor.—In the course of the
year we have caused the slaughter of 1,400 cattle that had
either developed the Lung Plague or had been exposed to
its infection ; we have abolished common pasturages in all
infected districts excepting one (Brooklyn, where circum-
stances prevented this) ; we have controlled the movement
of cattle in all infected districts, and have virtually rooted
out the plague from seven counties, leaving but one (Brook-
lyn and suburbs) in which the affection still prevails.

While a multitude of details were needful for each dis-

6

ee

trict, it will be instructive to notice the main restrictions in
force in New York city, where the disease was suppressed,
as compared with Brooklyn, where it still remains to be
dealt with.

By July 1, 1879, we had perfected arrangements to receive
fresh cows and other store cattle, from healthy districts only,
into new inspection yards from which all other stock were
excluded, and to allow no other animals to be distributed as
store cattle in or from New York. Pasturage was allowed
in inclosed ground only where herd would be safely secluded
from herd. The police seconded our efforts, so that no cat-
tle could be moved on the streets without a special permit,
gianted after inspection of the herd to which such belonged.
Dealers’ stables, which in such localities soon become simple
pest-houses, were abolished ; no cows were allowed to leave
city stables except for slaughter ; and, as the fountain of in-
fection was thereby stopped, every subsequent step made in
dealing with disease in individual herds was a decided and
permanent gain. New infections were exceedingly rare,
and the old ones only had to be stamped out. With such
measures success was assured.

IL urged strongly that Brooklyn should be put under a
similar system ; and had this been resorted to there can be no
doubt that the results would have been similar in that city,
and that the State of New York would have been to-day prac-
tically free from Lung Plague. But the prospective lack of
means, the existing opposition of the city magnates and mag-
istrates, and other considerations which need not be men-
tioned here stood in the way. The adoption of the approved
measures was deferred until there should be less to hinder ;
and, although money has at last been appropriated by the
Legislature, three months have elapsed without any satisfac-
tory movement in this direction. With regard to this it need
only be said that any ostensible economy that entails delay
in the extinction of the disease is the most wasteful prodi-
gality. The perpettation of a force of officials and inspect-
ors becomes much more expensive than the execution of the

She

work in a sharp and decisive manner and in a much shorter
period of time; the maintenance of the plague in the in-
fected district leads to a continuous and, in the end, a far
greater outlay in indemnities for cattle slaughtered; the
continued interference with the normal channels of home
trade heightens the burden in a way that cannot easily be
estimated ; the persistence of the plague loses to the nation
$1,500,000 a year on our exports to England; and, finally,
every day of delay endangers the infection of the Middle
States and of the Western and Southern grazing ground,
which would perpetuate the plague forever, and entail an
annual tax equal to that imposed by the late war.

Already we see the evil effects of a relaxation of eflicient
work in other parts of New York than Brooklyn. When
the appropriation was made in February I at once took
measures to increase the veterinary staff and actively resume
the aggressive work that had been so long and injuriously
delayed. But orders were received to reduce the force of
inspectors still further, and at the same time the system of
distributing fresh cows and other store cattle from the in-
spection yards only was seriously relaxed ; and though there
is as yet little time for more than the incubation of the
plague, cases have appeared in fresh cows taken into sound
stables in New York and Brooklyn, and Staten Island, which
has been sound for over a year, has again become extensive-

ly diseased.

—e—

All.
FIELD EXPERIMENTS WITH VARIOUS CROPS.

By Pror. I. P. ROBERTS.

A,

Experiments with Wheat—All quantities given, whether
of manure, seed, or crop, are given for the acre, wnless other-
wise specified.

Ie

Wheat—Different Fertilizers. 1874-5.—Plots 1 acre in
size.

Yield.
Treatment. Pounds.

1 | 16 tons farmyard manure, moderately well rotted, applied

on surface‘and harrowed In..--......3--22-2. 2. aaa eeee 583.5
2 | 100 bushels lime ashes from lime-kiln, applied on surface; a

60st. 15 Gents per bushels: .... 223.22. 2s sme ananne ee eeee 561.5
3 | 200 pounds Ralston’s superphosphate, drilled with wheat... 603
{| 200 pounds Woodruff & Chamberlain’s superphosphate, '

Grilled. with, WHCab?.<...ens 2 soem o, eee ee 648.5
6) | NOGMiIN eS 6.02 oo soos sesame ens ee ood ee One oe ree ae 441.5
6 | 200 pounds Phillips’s improved superphosphate, drilled with

wheal. 224 0 fecscacecd dablene ce sy docwecweamace eee aeeeee 513.5

The season was poor and the winter severe, and many
pieces of wheat were plowed up. The soil was clayey ; the
clover and timothy sod was plowed in July ; the seed (Claw-
son) was drilled September 8 and 9. Land in fine order.
All the plots were sowed to timothy a few days after the
wheat was sowed. The great injury to wheat which oc-
curred in March permitted the timothy to make a very rank
growth, especially on plot No. 1, where farm manures were
applied ; from this fact the yield of No. 1 was diminished
far more than that of any other. The increased growth of
the grass on this plot over the others was very noticeable
the next year.

i.

Wheat by the Lois- Weedon System. 1874.—This experi-
ment was tried on a field of clayey land, which in 1873 pro-

Seed

duced oats, without manure, and in 1872 and for several
years previous was a blue-grass pasture, and considered
very poor ; it was in a bad, lumpy condition after the oat
crop of 1873. It was summer fallowed in 1874, and not
manured.

The plot, 203 rods long, was cut up into ‘strips 53 feet
broad, which were numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. The odd strips
were drilled and the even strips cultivated ; the follow-
ing year, as {will be seen further on, the even strips
were sowed, and odd strips cultivated. The ground was
was in good condition when sowed with Clawson wheat at
the rate of two bushels. These experiments were conducted
with a view to ascertaining the effect of superior culture
without manures on poor lands. By this alternate method
each plot was under summer fallow every alternate year.

Yield First year, 1874-5, season poor, 158 lbs.
‘« Becond * 1875-6, “¢ fair, 369 lbs.
“« Third ‘“ 1876-7, “superior, 694,1bs.
“ Fourth “ 1877-8,- “ fair, 637 lbs.

No wheat was sown on these plots in the fall of 1878; in
the summer of 1879 all plots were given a thorough sum-
mer fallow ; the odd numbers are now in wheat.

166 b

Wheat—Different Methods of Seeding. 1874-5.—The
soil, etc., were the same as in I.

Treatment. Yield.

bu. lbs

1 | Drilled, 2 bushels, 24 55
2 | Broadcast, 2 bushels, | 22 30
3 | Drilled, 3.5 bushels, 20 50
4 as 3 oe 20 50
5 sé 2.5 i 16 30
6 Se 2 oe 11 30
7 ne 1.5 sé 4 65
8 “oc 1 “ —, aie
9 oe A) 46 oe a

Plot No. 1 was nearest to, and plot No. 9 farthest from,
a north and south fence ; as the distance from the fence in-
creased, the exposure to high winds increased. Therefore
they should be compared by couplets or triplets, rather than
by extreme numbers. The plots were 0.1 of an acre each.

a Eas

ry

Wheat—Different Methods of Seeding and Manuring.
1875-6. The field and arrangement of plots were the same
as in III, except that the numbers were reversed, and the
thin seeding was next to the fence.

Treatment. Yield.

bu. lbs

1 Drilled, : bushels, 2 bushels plaster : ; 22°55
2 iy no fertilizer ieee eee 20 40
3 a : Bh EEO tec eae eae 18 40
4 . 0. = 200 pounds super BROe RE se 23° 30
5 = A) = -| 28 20
6 re ty | ee | eee ee ee | 21 15
M | “ec 9 oe 6 “ead eae ee 91 =
8 | Broadcast, 2 bushels, ‘“ (6 ih ste 29 em oe 18 30
9 | Drilled, ip #8 we MO ewe eae *OB DO,
10 | “ 4 “a “cs CY cn Beebe wien S\ ee *95 —

* Protected by fence and snow.

Vi

Germinating Power of Old Wheat. 1874.—Two hundred
varieties from the museum, which had been five years from
England, were sowed and all failed to germinate. These
varieties had been kept unthreshed in the museum under
the most favorable circumstances.

¥ iJ,

Wheat—Difierent Methods of Seeding or Culture, Differ-
ent Manuring and Varieties. 1876-7.—Plots 0.1 of an
acre. he field was the same as in IV. Every other drill
mark in plot No. 1 was hoed out, leaving the drills sixteen
inches apart, and really but one bushel per acre of seed.
Three hoeings in all were given to this plot. The quality
of plot 138 was not nearly so good as of 14. The ground
was plowed twice after the previous crop of wheat, with
liberal top-culture.

eg) eae

bu. lbs.
al ley) bushels, MrilledsnOCUseearcs.cce eas os sane eos eeoemee eee oaeee 24 20
De. plastered Sept. 6).900 1b8h. e222... 2s soe tee ecawes 26 «+5
6} lbp se Stockbridge fertilizer, DIOS nos. ae oten asec coe aeces 28 50
4/2 a AYO GLUT OPS wars, ci ctciara scien sta.ccsiew sie wa apne alata Paleo s 28
5 | 2 £8 AUPOLpuOspPHate, S60 IDSs: ..coccuscsececeecc mosses nccs 25 40
6 | 2 ss nothing Ae reese aa gee ee ao ee reece acces 24 10
Tin tae ME MRE oni fsbo coc) comic.aycye SaweaSecivies ease scinckicsee-ceeck 18 10
Salas J SM ge erate ciate ohn fa Peart Sls as Secon Cane Sele nome earivaie 24 30
9F | 2 Fe CM Mea ee wine 3.c0sy) aa ES ee nS else aie ees 25 30
11 | 2 us DUOAACAS becer ore, care ss oie os ayeemsis cer ameeioie see a eclorei 24 45
12 | 2 es mulched with straw..........-2.s+ssss0--22e-eseeeee 25
Sale - new variety from Cayuga Co.; donor unknown. . 26
ante? ss (CTR WSO eect eae = aidan taranio ad eee Serna cae Satelite 24 20

Vit.

Wheat— Different Methods of Seeding or Culture, Differ-
ent Manuring or Varieties. 1877-8.—Plots 7g of an acre.
The ground was clayey and had been in wheat the three
preceding years. Plots 4, 5 and 6 were left without manure
for the purpose of testing the uniformity of the soil. Plots
whose numbers and yield are not given were discarded.

Treatment. Yield.
bu. lbs.
LF pecks, MOMPOR GH IZ ON eee oe ete aie Ae no in lattlarasa this a c:2'e acisiaisie aise cre-n'eiers 28 2%
2159 400 pounds Lister ground ON Geen a aa eee oes ae 29 52
Brig ss 400 pounds Crocker’s Buffalo superphosphate. .....-.. 31 52
Aly gy $6 no fertilizer 22 48
Balg.. 6 DN be ee eS ee ee eee 21 36
GulE oles Se psd (akc S teasers Soke sectaeencSens 22 16
Til 9) wes subsoiled, no fertilizer ~ 16 32
TORO) < £00 POUNGS DIASUCRse foe sees ceccs rans c.s cm aeeciseeecicme 24 40
20k: aed 400 pounds Preston’s superphosphate.......--..----- 22
10) 1a eae MO TOmCMIZ OD ae ee ee eee ee oe ae A sia sacimeicimie eis 30 24
1S io 400 pounds Sol. Pacific guano phosphate. ........-..--- 24 40
nie Ak ese as YO ONG OT ete ope asters See Bator sisyaln eae Bier aine(oia'ars Sialateisiondiacas 23 52
16 Selected seed, ¢ 600 pounds Sol. ?
17 PECIIG BUANO* [rials cc cisas. sco aiacis:oicieelaanicieiss's)a' 29 3024
18 ee « (phosphate. )
TOM MONDE OKS 10: LOPUIIZ OL risa /ctcisisis cai nie eeieiwccs © sic enieiaiere ne widien oes 2s oie 21 12
DORI 9 Ws DIORO CAST sss arms seen ciscemeclc nities camacelseaccamcesins 22
B19 s8 Co er 1 beste eet a a 24 24

VIL

Wheat—Different Fertilizers and Methods of Culture.
1878-9.—Plots +; of an acre. Seed was sown at the rate of
two bushels per acre, unless otherwise designated, except in
plot 30, which was actually seeded at the rate of one bushel,
as half of the drills were hoed out.

1 “ % bushel (protected by fence, and snow, hence
cannot be fairly compared with others)........ 25

80 <=
Treatment. Yield.
ag bu. ibs.
2 |)125 bushels: of. seGd, N10) WANULO: cecsc cere ees ease eee 18 20
2/3 “ “ LS We les dn desucte einen ee ence eee 20 50
3 -75 sé CE see teeny ee ene A 19 10
4 2 “ “ce CB Cheese alee ke Bie k te eee ee 20
be | deze 7s if (|; 8 Sea canteboescemee soeeeern aaa 20
6 | 500 pounds soluble Pacific guano.......--..-..-.--------------- 25
Tal) INOUDIN 0 dere.vle sdiew arse eae mas Cee niece eile eee ae ene 21 40
8 | 500 eoande White & Son’s superphosphate..........-....---.-- 30
OY | SNOGDIN S15 06 hiecinns cee sake oe = eee nade enna ee iaaae se ee aaa mesa ee 15 50
10 | 500 pecs Poplein’s silicated phosphate...................--. 19 35
Lt | 4 bushels’ Of Plaster. 40-2 -ccscc co ecmesces nines sss sieis seis scieisiae 22. «5
TO} INOUNING sgok asco dant ce ate cia som s eee euie es eqeueaee 0 -emees ona 25
LE INGW WVABLOUY Sa) dec.es oe Galas once ola) 5 cicte ea ome hc wile eee
14 | 800 pounds soluble Pacific guano. ..............22-0--- 00 enone 23 20
En INOUDIN Sis. ost ore oe eer Be rin ae 25 25
16 m 25
18 Lh 21 40
19 | 800 pounds Poplein’s silicated phosphate 24 10
20 | 800 pounds soluble Pacific guano and 800 pounds White’s
BUNErPNOSPUAtencar 3.020500 cocee ae. cone eee 21 40
21 | 14 loads farm manure, 4 plots together..........--..-..-..-.--- 26 15
22 | 400 pounds salt, 2 plots together. ....--....--2-.-026ss-se.secce- 20 25
OS | 80 DUsBhKEIS TMG. ob a ee.o'44 tues he dewacaasss secums Sad beleeee wean 22 «+5
24 | 400 pounds sulphate of ammonia, applied in fall............-.. 19 35
D5.) INOUDIN Gas 6<o0s i245 os’ ncisltancit stg vic,aaetie alee Sails cubis cle eelaemieriae 18 20
26 | 400 pounds sulphate of ammonia, applied in spring...-...-..... 29) 5
27 | 400 pounds Pacific guano, 400 pounds sulphate of ammonia,
applied in fall, and 400 pounds sulphate of ammonia, ap-
DUGG In SPINE 22. mas chs -due weasels fens ae eetee seen 17 30
28 risa pounds sulphate of ammonia, applied in fall.....----=-..- 20
29 BPTI s22sccecas 17 30
30 Drilled double width and hoed: .2-..25/5.08.¢-0 esse ce eee 13 20
IX.
Wheat—Summary of Results. —
Drilled and Broadcast Sowing.
Drilled. | Broadcast.
“bu. Ibs. | bu. Ibs. _
1875 24 55 23 30
1876 21 18 30
1877 25 30 24 45
1878 24 24 22
Average, 23 564| 21 564%
Thick and Thin Seeding.
bu. lbs.
i vear, $24 bushels, 2. = .22hs.25 Seco -eoe emacs eee 20 50
4 years, 3 BS 8 cee les ek giwsueonseeoes s soeesaeb sees 23 23%
4. a MF are sa sae niwee a eadiee aaa aera ae 20 15
9G. 88. (OY, and 234 DUSNCIAs 2.6. <0s sec 05 cee bea e ses eee 18 22%
3 “ 2years 1% bushels and 1 year 13 bushels.......... 15 265

peal 2s eee

‘Comparison of all plots phosphated for four years with
adjoining plots on which no fertilizers were used.

bu. Ibs.
Average of all phosphated plots.........-.-...-.-.--.------ 21 31%
OC “« adjoining unfertilized plots..........-...... 22 33

Phosphates do not seem to produce marked results on
pine and hemlock lands of drift formation; results upon
similar soils in other localities sustain us in this inference
from our experiments. On maple and beech lands of a dif-
ferent formation they have produced marked results.

Comparison of plots plastered for three years with ad-
joining plots unplastered.

bu. lbs
Plastered, average........-..-.. 24 33%
Not plastered, average.....-.-.- 23 41%

Comparison of plots hoed for two years with adjoining
plots not hoed.

bu. lbs
HOe0G2 s-cceaceesSen« igs 60
Not hoed........... 23 10

It must be remembered that while the plots were of the
same size, there were twice as many drill marks in the plots
not hoed as in the hoed, and consequently twice as much
seed upon these plots.

B.
Exeperiments with Oats.—All quantities specified relate to
the acre. ,
if

Oats—Different Methods of Culture. 1875.—The land
was clayey and had been in clover and timothy in 1873 and
in corn in 1874. The ground was mellow and in good con-
dition when sowed with common white oats, May 1, 1875.
Plots were =; of an acre.

wv

No.
Treatment. pks. | Yield.

see

bu. lbs.
1 | Broadcast, spring plowed pis fepauinatoraae. © anise gs eee ergs aan ame 12 60 18
2 Drilled, Sato. Seabee sate enpidece boss 16 58 14
3 ee Sf! seen se keene ee eeae heen aie 12 53 21
4 aS a AES. pc eNRe weld ae isinie kee timate ee 25 7 47 26
5 “ “ Trae Petes ee ne mene me cose 5 54 6
6 - fall plowed, replowed: April.80....¢.ceccscessucis ip) 52 19
q be cultivated with Western Cultivat-

OPEATICI HOt sc oa ew dee eawesitacte eer sine ee faasl 12 54. 6
8 Drilled, BPMN eS PlOWEd 5 hoc anton eees caer ene eee 12 54 6
9 not plowed, surface cultivated twice. ......-.. 12 56 10
10 “ plowed and subsoiled, May 1.-................. 12 58 14
1 ae plowed 5 inches deep, ARI S0ces ccemeenemad ee 12 66 30
12 “6 plowed 9 inches deep, April30.--...-....--.-..- 12 60 18
13 | i spring plowed, sowed May 1..............-.... 12 41 14
14 | di. fall $$ ut nes 12 30 26

The straw on plot 14 was larger and the berry plumper
and larger than in plot No. 13. These two plots did not
adjoin the others ; the soil was a poor clay.

IL.

Oats— Different Methods of Culture, Seeding and Fertit-
izing. 1876.—Plots 3 of an acre.

Pecks
Treatment. Variety of Oats. of Yield.
seed.
| bu. lbs.
AN] el BBN eet bh uae arent Peer er ee | Ovid 12 54
ARO MMOUR bs so 0h yscnk ened sacs tease a 12 63
By PUTO OG S60 eee oe Se ae ces ae 12 58 16
PUR OLIOULs ceeadiiire succes see we ks 12 55 4
Be |) SPIgSpevetics 2. 3505. oot aoc e cea cs 12 53 8
6 (|) GINO DIGSLONe ...ceaees foSuhaencssce a 12 46 16
* || 260) DUSNGIS TMG 352594 oo crete erence. - 12 50 «8
8 | 200 pounds salt.......... Paeig gaan ie 12 62, 16
9) | NOU BALbAG 6.6 <2 2 ee eee Seen nl #4 12 44. 8
11 es pepe ee Cee ae ie Rep Men kth a 16 40 16
OT ha teiee cae aban eds a ale de s4c ae ae ah 10 86 24
DO ean sneaaae od dat esedeebeateaduasccades as 8 36 24
DU teaoe ashe mew die dea et Pad ial oe wonieaake ue he 14 42
AUG! cam OS Male a 3 exetres sm ee aie aoe aan Univ. White, 14 40 16
BR cet ees eta ye Sedna u eas a awawe Waterloo White, 14 46 28
16 | 408 pounds salt or er a eee wee om Ov. & W’loo m’x’d 12 41 20
17 | 600 ROS TUG oe care Ol wack Ovid 12 48 12
18 | Hoed three fation every alternate
drill-mark vacant............. $8 12 37 28
19 Not hoed. . EE oe a a eee S 12 37 «16

The University White were ripe July 20; the Waterloo
White, July 24 ; the Ovid, August 4. Plot No. 18 really
had but six pecks per acre, as one-half of the drills were
hoed out.

— So

Iii.

Oats—Different Fertilizers, eae of Seed, or Different
The ground

Cultivation. 1877.—Plots were 2; of an acre
was clayey and in fine condition.

Three bushels of seed per acre were sown, unless otherwise
stated ; the seed was put in early, but drilled in too deeply;
heavy, cold rains fell in a few days, the ground ran together
and baked ; probably not more than one-half of the plants
appeared above ground. Plots 13 and 14 were in another
field, and sowed under more favorable conditions, except

that the soil was much poorer.

Treatment.

|

400 gs sé sr ound: Done... 2222 .2¢--.-.4--

COOADGfwWNre

i oe se ae . * peach ecebpece-scee eres
TSS SOUM Od ee esse esc asses ott ccc coebaiweelwendcceecsedatceue
1a | ENOGSUDSOLEO >... ----.-=-222. Pt eee ee ee ee

Ty,

Oats—Different Fertilizers. 1879.—Plots #5 of an acre

in size.

Treatment.

—

500 lbs. Pacific guano PROEDRAIS and 250 lbs. sulphate

OLAMMONIA. deen. sesame eee eet cece = aac cece ceae
INOsLORLII ZO s eet ak fae Sa eo ose een as ovata
750 lbs. plaster and 75 lbs. refuse salt..........-.--..--.-
INOsOrth ZORSae 2 = bos foes lajce socicscececaw sec cnemessessees

ce harrowed when about 2 inches high..-......

“ce
“oe

“ee
“ee

130 lbs. sulphate of ammonia and 260 lbs. Pacific guano
WD OSPNATO+s- - 26 ce acca meee Sh eee eae
INO fertilizer cece Ss 2 Saadane sae sews sat nade as Boesmeenen

ht
HOD DOIDMBwWH

ee
no

400 pounds of Lister Bro’s’ superphosphate of lime....-

400 sé of Crofut & Co.’s Syracuse superphosphate.
INO UDIN Sense sees seers sie soa ase ies sae eeeeee sees
400 pounds of Stockbridge oat manure...............---
400 es TOLUSOVSAl bios oioas ce siecPeocees cess semaweeces
ONO GIT ee ease Star ae om a = secant wie Aes eer
400 pounds of Cayuga plaster te pated cimiatsra Grew aici ea Saystaies dios
Seneca Falls seed, 3 bushels...................-..-..----
10 | Cornell University AGC, 45 DUSNEIS sss ecascnescec sessed

ates) eee

Nos. 1 and 2 on ground in roots the previous year. Nos.
3 to 6 inclusive in oats the previous year. Nos. 7 to 12 in-
clusive were in corn in 1878. Nos. 11 and 12 did not
adjoin the others. In studying the table, comparison should
be made between plots situated near together, as 1 and 3 or
7 and 10, and not between those situated far apart, as 2
and 11.

Ni

Oats—Summary of Results.—
Averages of Thick and Thin Seeding for Four Years.

bu. lbs.
§ DOCKS Per BOVGs~ s..45. 50-245. 5—5 39 29
7 and 8 pecks per acre........... 41 25
12 re Mey wee leet 42 20
16 " Mb Tm aisseewenbde 42 31
bu. Ibs.
Two years’ average of all plots treated with commercial fertilizers... 835 2
Two years’ average of unmanured plots.............-------.---- ee eee 80 424.
bu. Ibs.
Broadcast, 2 years..........-.-.-- 61 16
Drilled, Dy Oe oe maces Seedass 56
bu. lbs.
Subsoiled, 2 years...............- 46 19
Not subsoiled, 2 years.........-.. 48 33
, bu. Ibs.
Salt, 2 years, 4 plots.............. 43 18
Not salted, 2 years, 4 plots....... 39 7
bu. lbs.
Plastered, 2 years, 2 plots........ 40

Not plastered, 2 years, 2 plots.... 87 19%

The results of experiments conducted but one year appear
in the previous tables, and a recapitulation would add noth-
ing to their clearness.

Phosphates, including application, cost on an average
about $40 per ton; plaster, $5; salt (refuse), $4.50; lime,
$8.75. Our experiments and observation lead us to believe
that oats drilled early on mellow, clay land, and especially
if followed by heavy, cold rains, do not germinate so well
as when sowed broadcast. Our drill is the “Farmer’s
Favorite.”

<a ——

Cy

Experiments with Corn.—All quantities, unless otherwise
designated, relate to the acre, and as to the crop relate to
bushels and pounds of ears, seventy pounds of ears being
allowed to the bushel. All plots were separated by one
vacant row. All manures, unless otherwise stated, were
dropped in the hill and mixed with the soil.

L

Corn—Different Culture, Liming, Suckering. 1875.—
Plots 1 to 13 inclusive were planted with Eastern, 8-rowed,
yellow corn. In 1874 the ground was in corn, without
manure, and in 1872 and 1873 in clover and timothy. The
soil was a sandy loam.

Yield lbs. per |
Treatment. plot. Yield.

Sound.| Soft.

bu. lbs
MPR 6 CUIUTe = eens ee eee one tense 352 55 58 10
PalbDeep. 6) ao ceccseete ee cee 290 19144 | 44 15
PSU tO We om Nene = ere ee ae eee 324 4344 | 62 35
4 | Continuous culture, 7 times................-. 362 22 54 60
5 | Drilled culture, 1 stalk per foot.............--. 365% 18 54 55
| Ors balm ei Te a sa paecie eco ls aes wine bore stata’ sare sicie 369 29 56 60
Molee oalke inva Dis 9 esha = 2 oe are ees 438 44 68 60
SPOS DELS IN Ode eevee cena ite es aie Sater 301% 127 61 15

Oyo Stalks in adi lessee ee eee eee eae a 266 49 45
10 | Not limed, eastern variety..................-. 335 51 55. 10
11 | Limed, 200 bushels per acre........--......... 493 57 78 40
120 NOt SUCGKELEO. <6. Sscsesseseme cacao seconde =< 338 50 55 30
TS BUCKELEd GWICG i s.oe om s2' sie itor aaicjemwedice scien 306 42 49 50
14 | Not limed, western variety..................- not fully ripe. | 48 55
15 | 200 bu. lime, western variety...-........-...- 77 60

it,

Corn— Different Seeding, Culture, and Manuring. 1876.—
The soil was very sandy and gravelly, and suffered from
drouth. Four stalks were left in each hill, unless otherwise
specified ; the hills were 3.5 feet apart, both ways. The
corn was cultivated four times and hoed once.

Treatment.

S etalke por Bills sc22. 2252.2 maces eee eee nese eseaee
ae: $00 tons Jat icles Mens tae eet eae AoC eae oe ee
3

“oe oe

Q #8 WO oo ewe cence canes td tee -taleasdedesieceaepeeet
| 2 spoonfuls plaster to hill applied June 5, corn coming up...
| NOt MIS8tEread ls <2. no.cc27- deck baie neha aden aes eee tae oe
SiG TG is an an moc ecw Bie ie mre a i ee ee ee
Not suckered:. ..2.<222-- 2s occ: scores ange seeeeenscasces =<" 5 s===
Seed soaked two hours in hot water and rolled in plaster. -..
Séed. trom tipsiOl, GA's: .--5. 26. ccc. sccssemece---o—een--ecemen
ik DUES Of BET Si~s40s <2 0255-40 ee oe a eee ere
n MIGQlGIOn GA0S 5-2. sae wee see sete sess eaee= aes
500 pounds Ralston’s superphosphate.........-.--------------
| 500 “Peterson & Son’s superphosphate........---..---
IN OU ELIE fo cen Sect oe om ee ee Peer says
500 pounds Bradley’s superphosphate. .......----------------
PIGStér APDUEWWUING0: -- soccc eee reece eee (eee eames aes
Ashes, 2 spoonfuls per hill, June 5...........-. 2-26. .---2000--
SStalks POrvHUl 22223 ocusencscs—eeeceeebe tees <sceeem ens aeaieey
3 oS og yaoi eeske Slee ath ee careh as ottawa ae ¥y

“ee “ee

2
epoonials Plaster, June!) G.5- 2. 2.226 sdecccedcnneaemamae ees eee
INO PIBStAreGe cnc. 2 cos eames anne oes ecedee see nadeaerresaeseee
Seed soaked 12 hours and rolled in plaster.........-........-.
Bi GHGLEO Vekceacen sce ote nee Sess eee ee ee
NOS RUGKGRGG 222252. 22k. 25s, see U sue aecches alten
Seed from tips of 6408 ~~. 22 222.67< 45s ss 3 eek ee ee ase
Pe bivtts: OF “GSrs 42 24) t seen nb Otsu ccncenensenceeeaeea te
J SPOONTUS Ashes, JUNG 622.255.5522 2.2 ace eo ee eeeeee eee
2 - plaster-and ashes, June bh. <2. sceseccamabesetecuuas
Peterson & Son’s superphosphate, same as 14..........-....-.
INOGHIN Ess sss vanes Ht core raced was cla adelastebe qaeeananen kee ee aaa
Bradley’s superphosphate, same a8 16......-....-...----.----
IN OGHIT ccs ss cas onwma's’s env damien e «ws sistneltemaeaeseeaemua deeaaaans
Ralston’s superphosphate, same as 18..--..--.--....--.-...--
Cayuga plaster, applied in hill, unsoaked seed............-.--
Syracuse ‘ pF Om hill, JumeG.22:. sis .. sce ceeeeess
s ae “ in hill, unsoaked seed.-..-............
Western corn, nofertilizer:.235.22542.2 822 esa. tee

Yield.

41 10
42 20

Many of the preceding plots are duplicates, in order to
make allowance for variation in soil.
Average of duplicates.

Plots and Treatment. Yield.
bu. Ibs.
| Nos. 1 and 19, 5 stalks............. ch eae Bees Ree soa} 40

oe ONO de a Vil LL Soe aot eocaeeeg hon mie aes 38 41
SOS RNC 8) OS es one 4 oe teed sue Gee eee 37 «30

ae. Brean Oe AE 2 oceans ce area woe eee eee 31 50

} 3° 65.20 and 17, plaster On nil ss. sa scen sss cetmer 34 23
| 745 WG: BNC 24, NO PIASter. s-- 22.52). 550.2 see eee 33 «10
Ab OF BU OG; SUCH OUOL ccc move'ena ade ne ade ea ena 33 50
‘Sand. 27,nob suckered..2.--... 22sec 6 een yee 36 30

‘* 9 and 25, seed soaked and rolled in plaster... ..-. 41 16

* 10 jan 2B, Seen TrOm: tipsu..csess-5 sete en poeke see 34 60

* Tand 29, ‘#8 che IDULHIS:. 2246 Se ee eee 34 60

er ds a WIG <2 sase te on wer aaa 33 10

‘“* 13 and 36, Ralston’s superphosphate.........-. 36 40

** 14 and 32, Peterson & Son’s superphosphate....} 34 20

“ 16 and 34, Bradley’s superphosphate.........--- 36 60

400 TSN BOs. SSNGA ie ooo Se ee ee 38 40

#6. 2, 8, Lbs 24007, 88,0, SLOUMINE oe wccewrcnesae ee eres 35 33

bu. lbs,

Says
188

Corn—Stockbridge Fertilizer. 1876.—The soil was clayey.
In 1873 the land produced wheat, no manure being used,
and in 1874 clover and timothy, mowed for hay in June
and for seed in September ; in 1875 it was mowed for hay
twice. It was plowed in September, 1875, and replowed
May 23, 1876.

A plot, numbered 2, of .25 of an acre, received a dressing
of 180 pounds of Stockbridge corn manure, said to contain
16 pounds of nitrogen, 19.5 pounds of potash, 7.75 pounds of
soluble phosphoric acid, and costing $6.25 ; it was claimed
that this quantity applied to a quarter of an acre would pro-
duce 12.5 bushels more than the natural yield. On the two
sides of this plot were plots of one-eighth of an acre, num-
bered 1 and 3, which were unfertilized.

The fertilizer was sowed broadcast after plowing, and
harrowed three times before planting. Plot No. 2 contained
1,102 hills, and yielded 1,070.5 pounds of corn in the ear, all
of which was good and sound. Plots Nos. 1 and 3 con-
tained the same number of hills, were planted, husked and
weighed at the same time as No. 2, and weighed 1,071.25
pounds. This also was sound, but not of as good quality
nor as highly colored as that of No. 2. The stalks on No.
2 were perceptibly larger than on Nos. 1 and 3, and all
through the season had a darker and more luxuriant color.

EV.

Corn—Different Fertilizers and Cultwre. 1876.—The
land had been in clover and timothy for two years. The
soil improved in quality in passing from plots 1 and 17 to
the middle of the field. The “ Vitative Compound ” (plot
12) was received in a 2 oz. package, with directions to dis-
solve it in suflicient water for complete immersion of half a
bushel of seed, and to soak the seed in this solution 36 to
48 hours. On analysis the substance was found to consist

8

of lead oxide and zine sulphate ; it was an evident fraud.
The amounts of fertilizers refer to the plots.

Treatment. Yield.
aa bu. lbs
1 | 25 pounds Stockbridge corn manure........... ..-..-.----.--- 95° 5
SIN ORDIN M225 oss tue ess as ees - es eae anise eee oa = ee 31 5
3 | 20 pounds soluble Pacific guano phosphate i giaisle) as wis bola ee 40 57
4 | 20 pounds Lister Brothers’ ground Done. -_...22.22scsceoseeeee 48 10
5 | 20 es es superphosphate. ............-....-- 56 10
6) NO UDIUNE <2 gecinens coc atec eno oGegen- eng eee eee ee eee 59 10
7 | 20 pounds Crofut & Co.’s superphosphate. ......----..--..----- 58 5
8 | Seed soaked 12 hours, rolled in plaster, 1 tablespoonful damp
plaster in each Will, «9 v2 tuyere gs Seaeumeeatiee yaks eae ee 53 55
9 | 20 pounds plaster sowed broadcast, harrowed in.......-....--. 60 15
LO), (ON OCU Bs se oss. 55 cen ade toe acon tae os He dees t Stee erie eae 61 5
11 | 25 pounds Stockbridge manure, broadcast, harrowed in...... 46 20
12 | Seed soaked in “* Vitative Compound”’.............-.-..---..-- 45 30
18e | BUGKOLEQ sao ease oases se enn doe eee wee eeen eee 61 43
14 | Not suckered, 4 stalks (compare with 13 and 15).........-..... 48
16. | 6 :Stalie. ase fo sae sac - coed sch notes oo 2s sce eee eee seasel! 49:
LB 6 have 2 owe atc ewe as aisle ave» shia ews pte Sieg 6 ee ee eee ee 53 40
D7: | De oo ces eceece es cess ate eewe ce wos Leee me eeseaeee = eee 47 10
vy

Corn—Different Varieties. 1877.—The soil of the field
was poorest at the extreme numbers, growing slightly better
as it approached the center, and was a little too gravelly
and light for best results. It had been in clover the pre-
ceding year. The plots were one-fortieth of an acre each,
and were separated from each other by three rows of po-
tatoes.

Treatment. Yield.
bu. lbs
1 | 8-rowed Yellow, Bates................-.- a ee rere eer 36 60
2 | 8rowed One-Hundred-Day Corn. ..-... 62.056 ..0005 se00seseenns 36 20
3 | 8-rowed reddish tipped from Peunsylvania...........-----.--- 41 30
4 VOTO WCO(GOIG: OVO sod x os25 dau ens eaaneeeucks wane dene sae tee 34 40
5 | Western corn acclimated two years.......----.---0--6eeesesees 36 60
6 | 6-rowed White Corn, AyGrs. 22... uc eon ea oe ee 54 20
7 | 8rowed Yellow, planted with pumpkins every 8d. Dill... ccc: 38 40
8 | 8-rowed Yellow, no pumpkins. .........-....--.-...---e- ecco eee 45
9 | 8-rowed Cook's YOWOW<.0542 2.2 cdalnaun cdaaeyensesaesncasweemen 70 30
10 | Western Hicks, acclimated four years........--......--.--.--. 65 50
11 | 8-rowed Yellow, SALOS: os iynany oe avd bh eee aw we ee Er ee Ore 69 10
12 | 8-rowed One-Hundred- Day: Ori as, Sse. 5 eee te eee nie Castes 55 30
13 | 8-rowed reddish tipped from Pennsylvania. ..-......-..---.--- 55 10
La, CROW OO GC OlO1v Op) nA sana nicest ccs 4 case Sea eeeeen wteend ote 61 30
15 | Western, acclimated two years.........-..----.---.------s.0- 36
16: | Berowed White, Avers=t.. csc ams vga aseele saccen wecianen semen 38 10
7 | Bowed Cook's Yellow \.c<2- 05 .csees. ote. ea ee 54 60
8 | Western Hicks, acclimated four years..........-..------.----- 33 30

69."
Average of duplicates.

Plots and Kinds of Seed. Yield.

. lbs.

Nos. 1 and 11, Bates seed f
2 and 12, One-Hundred-Day Corn 5 60

* 3 and 13, Pennsylvania 20

“ 4and 14, Gold-drop 4

“ § and 15, Western, acclimated two years 36. 30

“ 6and 16, White, Ayers 15

“9 and 17, Cook’s Yellow 45

«“ 8, 5140
Vi.

Corn—Different Varieties. 1876.—These plots adjoined
No. 3; the preparation of the ground and the culture were
the same. Each plot contained three rows of forty hills
each, and the ground had been heavily manured during the

previous winter.

Yield lbs. per
Treatment. plot. Yield.

Sound.

. Ibs.

8-rowed Yellow, home-raised seed 141 69
Maryland Yellow, from Washington, D. C.

8 rowed reddish tipped from Eee 155% 28
oe u

Pciinated one yearin New York 130 14

8-rowed, Bates variety, South Hill, [thaca.. 145% 23
One- Berea Holden Corn from Mc-

104% 54 60

131 y 53

The two years’ eee in varieties show marked re-
sults. The Pennsylvania Red-tipped Corn produced by far
the largest yield, and next to it the home-raised eight-rowed
yellow. General field culture has proved the superiority of
these same varieties over the others. The advantage of care
in the selection of seed is thus demonstrated.

VIL.

Corn — Different Combinations of Fertilizers. 1879.—
These experiments were suggested by an article and diagram
in the Rural New Yorker in the spring of 1879.

The upper number indicates the number of the plot; the
second number, the number of pounds of corn in the ear;

the third number, the number of pounds of stalks per plot.
: é

pay || ee

The ground was in wheat in 1877 with manure, and in clover
in 1878; the clover was mowed early (June 18), the ground
plowed immediately and drilled to fodder corn. Clover and
corn were both good. The corn ground was plowed May
18 and planted May 24, although very dry.

Each plot was entirely surrounded by a vacant row and
contained thirty-five hills, planted thickly and reduced to
four stalks ina hill. To understand the diagram, suppose
numbers 57 to 63 inclusive to be a land containing five rows,
upon which has been applied twenty pounds Pacific guano ;
one vacant row left between it and the next land, upon which
has been applied twenty pounds sulphate of ammonia. Sup-
pose numbers 1 to 57 north and south to constitute another
Jand, upon which has been applied 10 Ibs. muriate of potash ;
then No. 36 has had an application of 4 of 20 lbs. of sulphate
of magnesia and { of 10 Ibs. of muriate of potash; while
No. 1 has had 3 of 10 Ibs. of muriate of potash, and No. 3
has had no manure.

g 24 £ Sas
8 Sox = 3 2a
Ba 68 = go 368
SZ oS =) SB. See
| & ba =| aD é } =) oc ‘30 50 aD
Ses: Ee q “8 mae &
oe 98 B 28 9 gS
SH 2a S 25 4H £268 i}
Se oe o 6ShhlDUlUm CO UME iS)
=| = wi oe 3. Sere
| Fy, Fe -O1| fn) 421149 1 42/1
20 lbs. Pa-| 537 | 38 59 | GO| GA | G62| 63
cific 49 4214) 41 4T 3714| 4534| 44
guano. 50 45 39 50 4514] 50 384
20 lbs. sul} 50] 58 | 52] 3: 54 | 55 | 56
phate of 5814] 53 4814| 42%) 4814] 56 3874
ammonia.| 73%] 52%] 48%] 44%] 47%] 55%) 438
443 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49

Nothing. 5614] 4414] 58 56 51 57 36
6214] 5814; 4514] 4414] 4314] 4824| 3914
20 lbs. sul-| 36] 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42
phate of 41 30%] 421%) 36 36%} 41 40
magnesia.| 45%] 4614} 43%] 34 36144] 42144] 35%

Nothing. 3874] 38 48 4514| 48 35 361

20 lbs. dis-|} 22 | 23 | 24 | 25] 26) 27 | 28
solved 4114} 22 35 36 B4 33 14
bone. 4444| 29 38 31 3614| 39 16

20 lbs. mu} 45 | 46 | AY | IS | 19 | 20] 2H

riate of 4014] 3414] 361%] 1734] 20 30%] 11
potash. 36 41 45 2514) 26 42 221
20 lbs. sul 8 9 410 41) 22) £3] f4

phate of 3744) 37 32 3344| 30%] 33%] 29

soda. 59 43 37 39 4614| 40 35

i we .
Nothing.| 38%! 20 | 33 | 31%] 27 | 29 | 26%
51 32 35 388i%4| 28 331%| 29%

=—spi ==

It is evident that the complication of the system makes it
impossible to draw any definite conclusions from the almost
endless combinations which can be made of the diagram.

VILE

Corn—Summary of Results.—
Comparison of all plots phosphated, for three years, with
adjoining plots on which no fertilizers were used.

bu. lbs
Phosphated, average....-..-. 42 10
INO fertilizer. 22. s5--e=<2~ 40 55

Comparison of all plots plastered, for three years, with
adjoining plots not plastered.

bu. lbs
Plastered, average......... 45 3
Not plastered, average. ...-. 39° «6

Comparison of all plots suckered, for three years, with
adjoining plots not suckered.

bu. Ibs.
Suckered, average....-....-. 46 51
Not suckered, average....- 47 36

Comparison of plots having various numbers of stalks per
hill, for three years.

bu. lbs.
2 stalks per hill, average..... 42 10
3 ae ay Se eee > 52 95
4 “cc oe ne ee oak 53 3
5 “ “a SS. en os.o 48 46

Comparison of the average of unfertilized plots which
adjoined both phosphated and plastered plots with them ;
and also a comparison of adjoining plastered and phosphated
plots.

Noy fertilizer:<..23.5<; - 40 1

Phosphated.....-...... 42 10
Plastered....0.-.scdscce 45

ee

D.
Experiments with Grass.
1

Grass—Different Fertilizers. 1876.—The crop consisted
of clover and timothy in about equal proportions, and was
cut June 24. The soil was gravelly, inclining to a sandy
loam. The plots were one square rod each, divided accu-
rately by 2X4 scantling. The plaster used was from Cayu-
ga beds unless otherwise designated. The results should be
studied with regard to the yield of grass rather than hay,
as the latter cannot be uniformly cured. The quantities of
fertilizers relate to the acre, and of the crop to the plot.

Treatment. Grass.| Hay.

1% bushel plaster 161
nf ee oe

1 at Syracuse plaster

400 pounds refuse salt

50 bushels lime

50 bushels wood ashes

Nothing

3 bushels plaster, applied three separate times. -
2 oe Syracuse plaster

POH Coble

7
8
9

200 bushels coal ashes

100 Me leached wood ashes
2 “$ plaster

a #¢ ‘“* applied at two separate times
Nothing

40 bushels fresh lime

25 ae lime and ¥% bushel plaster

16% * “* 1624 bushels ashes and 1 bushel plaster. --.

I,

Clover—Different Manures. 1877.—These plots contained
an exact square rod, and were divided by laying down 2x 4
scantling, which were fastened together by strips of board
nailed on top. The grass was mowed very close after the
removal of the scantling, and immediately weighed ; for
shrinkage in curing, see No. I, D. At the time of locating
the plots they all appeared perfectly uniform. The second
growth of clover on the plots treated with ground bone was
relished very highly by the cattle, these plots being eaten
close to the ground, while the clover on the others was still
of a considerable height.

——

a

= 99

1 12 13
214 lbs. Syracuse 2% lbs. Stockbridge | 2% lbs. Lister’s phos-
phosphate. | manure. phate.
117 lbs. clover. 118 lbs. clover. 113 lbs. clover.
2 11 14
2% lbs. Lister’s ground Nothing. 2% lbs. Pacific guano
bone. phosphate.
118 lbs. clover. 130 lbs. clover. 132 lbs. clover.
3 10 15
21% lbs. Lister’s super- Nothing. 2% lbs. Cayuga
phosphate. plaster.
128 lbs. clover. 129 lbs. clover. 129 lbs. clover.
4 9 16
2% lbs. Pacific guano |2% lbs. Lister’sground| 2% lbs. Syracuse
phosphate. bone. plaster.
125 lbs. clover. 134 lbs. clover. 129 lbs. clover.
5 8 17
Nothing. 2% lbs. Cayuga 2% lbs. Syracuse
plaster. phosphate.
115 lbs. clover. 120 Ibs. clover. 116 lbs. clover.
6 7 18
2% lbs. Stockbridge 2% lbs. Syracuse Nothing.
manure. plaster.
118 lbs. clover. 122 lbs. clover. 111 lbs. clover

Average of duplicates.

+4lign| Xield per

Plots and Treatment. F oueaes acre green

i | clover, lbs.
Nos. 1 and 17, Syracuse phosphate..............-...--. 116% 18,640
“ 2Qand 9, Lister’s ground bone...... ee Se ae 126 20,160
se Sand 13, es superphosphate. .......--..----. 12013 19,280
“ 4and 14, Pacific guano phosphate................ 128% 20,560
ee bp 10,08 BNO) 185 NOUNIN Gs. 2s5 cccec ne eee eco ce 12114 19,400
“ 6 and 12, Stockbridge manure.........._.......... 115% 18,480
“ gand 15, Cayuga plaster.........-- Peaceeees arses 12414 19,920

PANG LOS VERCUSO™ 68)" schesccesta eee ko eee 125% 20,080

2

Il.

Grass—Different Fertilizers. 1876-7.—One plot 4 rods
by 5 was flanked on either side by a plot 4 by 24 rods. The
plots were divided by shallow trenches carefully cut to line.
The grass consisted of timothy and clover about equally
mixed. The large plot, numbered 3, received a dressing of
50 lbs. of the Stockbridge Fertilizer for grass; the other
plots, numbered 1 and 2, were unmanured. One of these
plots yielded 640 Ibs. of grass, or 260 Ibs. of hay ; the other,
697 lbs. of grass, or 274 Ibs. of hay. The totals and the
yield of plot 3 are given in the following table, in pounds:

Grass Hay
Grass.| Hay. per acre. | per acre.

|
|Nos.1and2.| 1331 | 534] 10,712 4,272
Wo Bic asscook 1697 | 618 9

The experiment was repeated in 1877, when the unfertil-
ized plot, of the same size as one of the unfertilized plots of
the previous year, yielded 765 Ibs. of grass, and the plot
with Stockbridge manure, half as large as the manured plot
of last year, 1,008 lbs. For shrinkage, when converted into
hay, see the statement of result of the previous experiment ;
the grass this year consisted of timothy mixed with a little
clover. The same per cent. of shrinkage should not be ap-
plied to clover (II), as it would be far too small.

E.

Experiments with Mangel - Wurzels, 1879.—The summer
was:dry and unfavorable, and the crops of all the plots were
damaged by grasshoppers, that ate off the top in July. The
amounts of manures and crops refer to the plots.

ging

Treatment. Yield.

lbs.

1 | 11 1)bs. sol. Pacific guano, 4 Ibs. RULE ammonia, 5 rows, 1120
Q Say, fertilizer... a eee hires 1260
3 Z1bs. soluble Pacitic gu ETT eee mae ae eke 4 ee Ba St 1120
4 No (UAC See Se eee ere Ree Mem Moya 2 Bee 1140
5 4Z lbs. sulphate of ammonia..........-.---.--.------ Br ae 1260
6 No “fertilizer, Worbitton’?s Giant... 22.2.4 2<.22-00-e5e2 OO ee 1340
7 sé Yellow Globe ih RECA Shite ease OLN oe 880
8 | 7% lbs. sol. Pacific guano, 5 Ibs. sulphate ammonia, 3 ‘ 1080
9 | No fertilizer. Eoastedins exci largerd eusysinsedlaytas pada rae te Comte = eS 5 es 940
10 | 12 Ibs. soluble Pacific guano toast Se Ah eee eee ee Ski se 880
11 | No fertilizer. eee TES to et ee ee 700

XIV.

EXPERIMENTS IN CATTLE-FEEDING.

By Pror. I. P. ROBERTS.

EnsILaGE For Youne CarrLe and Breer Cows.—
Three two-year-old, half-blood Holstein heifers were se-
lected, which had previously been fed on hay exclusively.
First period —The ration consisted of ensilage, 50 Ibs.,
and malt sprouts, 0.5 lbs., per day and animal.
For the composition of these fodders see report of De-
partment of Agricultural Chemistry.

All weights were taken at 8 o’clock A. M., after feeding
but before watering.
1
When weighed. | No. 14. | No. 16. | No. 17.| Total.
Ibs. Ibs. lbs. lbs.
February 24.... 770 750 780 2300
March 3....... 832 850 834 | 2516 ‘
TOG cokes 830 890 850 | 2570
Laan Gaeeeieate 840 900 820 | 2560
“Oh. 824 | 882 | 824 | 2530

The total gain during the twenty-eight days was 23
pounds, or 2.73 pounds per day and animal. The apparent
gain of 216 pounds during the first week was largely due,
without doubt, to an increase in the contents of the stomach.

If the weight of March 3 is taken, the total gain in the

SS ie

following three weeks is but 14 Ibs., or 0.22 lb. per day and
animal. It is evident that this was about as near a mainte-
nance ration as it is possible to get, for while one animal
gained 32 lbs., the others lost 8 and 10 lbs. respectively.

Second period.—On March 25 2 Ibs. of cotton-seed meal
was added to the daily ration of each animal. On April
14 their total weight was 2,672 lbs., a gain in the three weeks
of 142 lbs., or 2.25 lbs. per day and animal.

This experiment indicates that Southern-corn ensilage
forms a maintenance ration when fed in suitable quantities,
and that it is economy to feed it in conjunction with some
more concentrated food. During the first as well as the
second period the animals appeared to be making rapid
growth, yet the scales showed that the weight of two of
them decreased.

For several months after being turned out to pasture the
ensilage-fed animals appeared far thriftier than others of
like age and size which had been wintered on hay.

Beef Cows.—The cows had been “dry off” about three
weeks previous to the first weighing ; two were natives and
one (No, 10) was a half-blood Holstein ; all had been milked
for about ten months and were thin in flesh. They were
offered for sale at three cents per pound, or $99.00, but
owing to the high price of feed no purchaser was found.
From February 21 to April 5 their ration consisted of
ensilage 52 Ibs., and corn meal 12.5 lbs.; from April 5 till
sold, ensilage 50 lbs., corn meal 9.4 lbs., and cotton-seed
meal 2.8 lbs.; or in volume-measure in the last case, six
quarts of corn meal and two quarts of cotton-seed meal.

When weighed. | No. 10.|No. 1,N.|No. 2,N
February 21, 1882,) 1150 1000 980
EY D8: f 1200 1116 1024
March 7, 3 1226 1146 1007
14, a 1242 1147 1068
21, et 1242 1182 1070
April 5, u 1320 1180
12, sf 1360 1192
20, bd 1820 1150

They were all sold at $ .094 per pound, dressed weight.
The average gain per animal was 2.84 lbs. per day.

Blige

Gain in Weight by Steers an a Moderate Fattening Ra-
tion, and on Grass.—

Three steers, purchased March 4, were weighed daily
at first, beginning March 13, after they had become ac-
customed to their new surroundings, and afterwards every
other day for two months, while fed on the following ration:
March 13 to 16, ensilage 30 Ibs., cut corn-stalks 4 lbs., malt
sprouts 5 lbs., and corn meal 3 lbs. March 16 to 23, the
same, except that 2.5 lbs. of bran were substituted for 2.5
Ibs. of malt sprouts. From March 28 on, 1 lb. of cotton-seed
meal was added to the ration. From March 27, 1 1b. of
corn meal was replaced by 1 lb. of cotton-seed meal. All
weights ‘were taken after eating and before drinking. The
weights are given in detail to show the frequent wide varia-
tions from day to day.

March.; Ibs. | lbs. lbs. April. Ibs. lbs. Ibs.
13 694 650 620 1 744 TOL 699
14 678 638 638 3 741 699 699
15 680 659 630 5 762 715 704
16 687 637 644 7 780 722 720
17 689 650 643 8 780 737 736
18 725 664 650 10 750 716 728 |
20 700 662 663 12 780 717 740
21 720 662 664 14 800 719 730
22 724 664 664 15 800 730 739
23 730 680 680 17 798 720 750
24 715 680 678 20 804 732 765
25 730 683 670 22 804 760 780
27 720 685 680 24 822 750 776
28 740 701 598 27 826 766 784
29 750 690 678 29 815 770 780
30 742 702 699 May 1 825 764 T94
31 744 TOL 699 _ —

Gain in 40 days, 131 114 174

The gain in live weight per steer and day was 2.85 lbs.,
or, per 1,000 Ibs. live weight at the beginning, 4.37 lbs.

The weights of the animals on July 3, after having been
in pasture and on grass alone for sixty-three days, were as
follows: No. 1, 1,038 lbs.; No. 2, 962 lbs.; No. 3, 940 lbs.
The total gain for sixty-three days was, therefore, 557 lbs.,
or per steer and day, 2.94 lbs., or per 1,000 Ibs. live weight,

4.5 lbs.
8

avg a

FIELD EXPERIMENTS WITH CROPS.

Outs, broadcast and drilled seeding compared :

Pecks of
No. of seed Yield.

plot. | ner acre.

Experiments of 1880-1...........-..-.--.-- bu. Ibs.

DUGG se : scS si oes ced ei teens odes as 1 9 25 10

BrOAC CHS. ssoc-c.2cc2-5 awieberechs ¢ 2 9 35 20

(DTU .2 ey seins ld hesceales capes 3 9 35 20

IBNORU CHB Yen os nt cet tc sews e eee 4 9 387 16
Average of the 2 years 1878 and 1879......

ISL ORO CAN Ups eee oe ce eo os eee oe 61 16

OM GU 8 22 sec oc cccaaats tance eres

Oats, thick and thin seeding conypared :
: No. of| Pecks of

plot. | yer acre.

Experim’tsof1880. Soil gravelly and poor

Experiments of 1881. Soil fair

1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4

Experiments of 1882

Ce Bl

Average of results for 4 years—1876 to
TET Oi asta o6've Season eos cae ee ee eee

Oats, varieties compared :

Pecks of
ph Bae seed Yield.
* Iper acre.
Experiments of 1880. All plots manured bu. Ibs.
with 100 lbs. superphosphate per acre.
SGHVIE fie oor ae eb ne— noc eeu re 1 a 59 15
IMIDCGHE) oss Saree secs tecS aaa at 2 9 74 «11
UDIVGPSlty sec124sascing seas etendere: 3 9 57 «6
UNIVOrsity 2-205 coe ies ely ae ee 4 9 58 8
ISX POrimMents Of LSSle . 2.2 as. cama nc cece
UNIVGrsity .. 52:22 sascegeecactece ns 1 8 74 7
MitQHGlt 122042 een c keen eeee eo saa ees a 8 56 19
BAta Vals - gy canis sent views alongs eeee 3 8 64 27
White Russian: 2.255. .-2 sce sce 3 60

Leg Gt

Oats, different Fertilizers, 1880:

Plots} Yield.

bu lbs
SAI S00; IDS sername =cr cee dcoe cede ecssteap assets s ellie! 34 29
TRS RCO IDAs mee) ona cjeets hence ten nSaseinn cone aeee 2 31 28
INOSEONMINZEESiae shes a noe So5- oct ctces ae eee a teacccwees 3 29 17
Salt, 300 lbs., and plaster, 300 lbs..-................2-.22. 4 DT.
No fer tilizers Sees Geet eae aoe tk cae tals wee Deseee Seetisecs 5 28 19
Sulphate of ammonia, 300 lbs...............-..2.....--. 6 29 2
Swiftsure phosphate, 300 lbs.............-...-....-----. 7 42 21
INOMIGEUINZENStc oo. bacaece ne oo ae mae O encase esis nace 8 87 381
Pacific Ruano SOOM Ses eno ease ee a cee ee eee e ) 39 31
«300 Ibs, and sulphate of ammonia 5 lbs..|_ 10 39 28
No roetinivens Re Cie ee Eee eee ee eee 11 35 20
Summary of results :
bu. Ibs
Average yield of all phosphated plots........................ 37 26
ee ae PUNT ENG IZ Ce asec eee eee ee 34.2
s¢ ss ‘« phosphated plots, 1878-9................. 35 2
se es “unfertilized *‘ 8H pcok L geceeae eee 30 4%
Average yield plastered plots, 1880..................--.--.---- 31 28
se “adjoining unfertilized plots, 1880.-............ 29 17
Average of 1878-9, plastered .....................--------22000- 40
se SPUD LONUNI ZOU 22 ace eee ace. = een ste eitercts 37 19%
anes yield of salted plots, 1880............-......2222-.... 34 22
« unmanured plots, 1880.....................- Ys ie ly
Average yield, 1878-9, salted.... --..........00.0--- ence eee eeee 43 18
ae ue HM UnTentwNZ6dt toc ash cee conum ane = sae ceiee 39 «67

The salt and plaster applied to plot 4 appeared to have
drawn moisture or prevented evaporation. The marked dif-
ference between this plot and plots 3 and 5, two weeks after
the grain was sowed, led to a careful determination in the
laboratory of the amount of moisture present in the first
eight inches of soil. Plot 3 contained 11 per cent. water,
and plot 4 11.6 per cent. This difference shows that there
was present in the soil 12,903 lbs. more of water per acre in
the first eight inches of plot 4 than of plot 3.

Wheat, broadcast and drilled seeding compared. Summary
of results for seven years ¢

Broadeast.| Drilled.

bu. lbs. | bu. lbs,
22 30 24 55
18 30 21 00
24 45 25 30
22 00 24 24
29 10 38 30
23 10 22 30
‘ ¢ 44

— L0G ——

Wheat, thick and thin seeding compared:

Pecks
Plots.| seed per| Yield.

acre.
Experiments of 1881-2. Seed sown Sept. bu. lbs.
5th; variety, Clawson; fertilizer, 200} 1 4 15 20
lbs. superphosphate per acre; land| 2 6 19 10
poor and clayey, and had produced| 3 8 22 30
wheat previous year. 4 12 23 50
Experiments of 1881-2. Seed sown Sept.| 1 5 34° 33
13th; variety, Clawson; fertilizer, 400 2 8 35 36
lbs. superphosphate per acre. 3 8 85 5
4 12 44 6

Summary of results of previous years:

RY Geile sted a oe eee 14 20 50
AUVGAISs ocx eres sa Spe owe eG 12 23 23
4 °VOAUSc.. ..esace aac cece 8 20 15
2 years, 9 pecks and.......... 10 18 22
2 years, 6 pecks and 1 year... 7 15 265

The above experiments are so easily understood that com-
ment appears unnecessary ; but to the experimenter who
watches the growing wheat throughout the year many things
are revealed which do not appear in the ascertained yield.
There is a very noticeable variation from year to year in the
per cent. of seed that germinates, and in the amount de-
stroyed by insects and other enemies before the winter sets
in. The thin seeding frequently does well until freezing
and thawing occurs during the last of winter, when it is
injured far more than thick seeding.

If every condition has been favorable up to spring it some-
times happens that dry, windy weather prevails, and the
thin seeding does not tiller as it should, or tillers so late
that a large proportion of the heads are low in the standing
grain, small, and poorly filled, while the heads of the thick
seeding will be more uniform in size and have less small and’
shrunken grain. One bushel of seed per acre would be
ample if all the conditions were at the best; but they seldom
are. Therefore it appears wiser to be liberal with the seed
than to take so many risks.

Wheat, varieties, Kxperiments of 1880-1 :

Farm-yard manure was applied to the surface and har-
rowed in at the rate of six cords (twelve loads) per acre, and
200 lbs. of phosphate per acre was drilled in with the seed.

— 101 —

No injury to the germination of the seed appeared, as the
ground was quite moist at the time of sowing.!

No.of Y

plot. ield per acre

Variety.

bu. Ibs.
UG eee ici hoe Soe aoa tle SOL AS ose wero ste 8. 1 37, 35
Cla wsOMmet sae psoas oo sects Se a ees ne eee 8. 2 89 25
Ce tek) 1 (ete Ei 6 <span tate eer pie ee peed arte ea 8. 3 41 26
SOUtnewalO@sacperascc- Sacco neck ace ae ccas sees colt es 4 | Total failure.

In the same field, on land which was far poorer, drier,
and more exposed to the wind than was the land on which
the above varieties were tested, the following experiment
was made with fertilizers :

Variety of Wheat. Kind of fertilizer. roe. | Nield.
bu. lbs.
Clawson....-...--- Farm-yard manure as above. 1 22 4914
Gira ee a a ard manure as in No.1 and 200 2? 9 22 00

lbs. of phosphate per acre. 5

Wheat, varieties, Experiments of 1881-2:

The ground had produced wheat the previous year, and
before sowing had received twelve loads of farm-yard ma-
nure and 200 Ibs. of phosphate per acre. The land was
plowed once, immediately after the previous wheat crop had
been removed, and was again treated to the same quantity
and kind of fertilizers as above. Liberal surface cultivation
was given up to the time of sowing.

Variety. No. of plot.| Yield.

bu. lbs

COIGA WROTE Hee Bea pe en ee ele eee er et 8 1 41 68
DATEL Zee ee re oS aces aicic wie class =Isi crores sia ianvainrsieieke a. 8 2 47 15
GOOG ae ae cers merece cts Sisto e wise’ esses d. 3 40 65
ists ohn Gl ORSaweenee ease eee ee oe relawecinee ass d. 4 36 30
RICO MWiNGA tees cocoa cc ach S «thet acielsigetocicine'cis'eyecle d. 5 32 91
ETO SUP TOM GS nace Sey ster cas se sess Seana = tae cse p.d. 6 45 17
ivbol en stk BRS GSE See SOS Renee ne eae SEs ae ree 8. if 41 34
PREG UIMeEGITEEPANCAN: «26422222502 aoc areseseiesa soe 8. 8 35 87
WiniferMichitant +. .dsoscncecce. aa sosesonsesaslecs 8. 9 33 99

In another field—having a better wheat soil than the
above—the following varieties, which were sent by Prof,
W. R. Lazenby from the Agricultural College of Ohio, were
tried. The land was treated with a liberal amount of fer-

1In these tables, d indicates wheat down; p. d., partly down; and s, stands
up in good order at time of harvesting.

— 102 —

tilizers and put in the best possible condition, but the sow-
ing was late—September 27.

; Variety. No. of plot.| Yield.

Velvet Chaff
INTGINS: 95235 cecucs comemencees Lawseen eens ees

German Amber

Champion

Russian, No. 2

MOrkK White GHA. 2s. oc. 220 e so -cu nn eeea stealer
Rickenbroda

Biivern, Oigit. i625 5 kon ence eaess ps teeaw acces p.d. ‘
Rivets, an English wheat . Failure.

s]
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

In 1881 the yield of Clawson wheat exceeded that of
Fultz by 2% bushels, while in 1882 the Fultz exceeded that
of Clawson by 535 bushels.

Neither Clawson nor Gold Medal appears to respond to
high manuring as well as the Fultz. This was suspected
before, and the experiment appears to be confirmatory.

Gold Medal stood well the first year; but when the land
had received another heavy dressing of fertilizers it fell
down badly, and the yield was less in 1882 than in 1881 by
forty-seven pounds, although the former year was more
favorable for wheat than the latter.

The York White Chaff bids fair to be a valuable variety on
fertile land, as does also Heige’s Prolitic, though the latter va-
riety does not stand up as well as the former, or as the Fultz.
Wheat, different Fertilizers, 1880-1 :

o No.ot «
Treatment. Plot. Yield.
bu. Ibs,
Crocker’s superphosphate, 400 lbs.*..........--...-..----- 1 26 30
NO IRGU ELILAZOTE acts y cheers wes anid 6 oduct bus ee eewe eS eke eeoee 5 25 10
Swiftsure phosphate, 400 lbs.*...............-.--..- ere 3 25 20
INGO TOU EAL Mats fans ootee oe Sa es Somes wae sae ae 4 14 40
Farm-yard manure, 10 loads or 5 cords........-.--------- 5 29 «#6
INA ROR MRE Gee once pee hes a ths eee oe et ee aes 6 17 (20
BaD BOO USsa es Sictie ote eka dn a blncle ev cee seen 7 29° 96
Crocker’s superphosphate, 200 lbs., sul. ammonia, 100 lbs. 8 24 55
IO LOrWIAErN. odan pak nid eed otlnaw dae Va diel eeemenemads s 9 23 40
Switftsure phosphate, 200 Ibs.....-.... Po deieinecierise an ease 10 23 20
Crocker’s superphosphate, 200 lbs........-....-..--.----- i 24 40
ING TENUINGOES (cesses tea vee ond fecen east oones face uy} 22 50
Pacific guano phosphate, 400 lbs...........-...----------- 13 26 20
No fertilizer tor 6 years, but under continuous wheat
culture during that time.-....-.........--..---- awe 14 15 30

*A portion of these plots were flooded for a few days.

— 103 —

Wheat, different Fertilizers, 1881-2 :

The crops which preceded the wheat of these experiments
were the same as in the following set of experiments, p. 104.
The wheat was drilled September 13, with nine pecks of
Clawson wheat per acre.

Treatment. tote| Yield.

bu. lbs

INGHOriWI ZOE oan sata creed Sone a meeions seein cee 1 35 OB

Phosphate 200 lbs. and sulphate of ammonia 100 lbs...| 2 37 33
INORTOREUIZONS 32522 on ce Sos cece ea seen een eee sab te sos 3 35

Harm manure, 7 cords or 14 loads........-............-. 4 87 57

IBHTOS PH aes ZOOL DSt a= = te ee ona ie octet ie eiale eieinarsisiereeaisiod 5 84 42

es «(seed badly shrunken).............-. 6 29 28

oa =o “(BOBO S000) sa-tecetsssc es Sens one cent 7 34 43

MORRO THIIZODS as eco ene case ae ase eases Se eee Me 8 31 14

Gypsum (plaster); 200 Mbs.. 565255. ose 24 anc toe. sats cee 9 30 85

alli cU0M DS eee eee Sere =a a doe oe meme deieen meee 10 26 57

Comparison of all phosphated plots with adjoining plots on

which no fertilizers were used : WAITS
Average of all phosphated plots, 1881.............--.......-- 25 10

ss «adjoining unfertilized plots, 1881.............. 20 44
Average of all phosphated plots, 1882...................------ 35 39

ss « adjoining unfertilized plots, 1882...........-.. 33 43
Average of all phosphated plots for six years.............--. 25 45

As “« adjoining unfertilized plots for six years.... 24 11

Gain of phosphated plots over unfertilized ones. -.-......-.--. 1 34

The experiments with phosphates have been carried on
long enough now to establish the fact that when drilled in
with the wheat they fail to return (on the University farm)
their first cost in the succeeding wheat crop. As the phos-
phates used are known by analysis to be of a high standard,
the fault cannot be attributed to them. As has been said
before, when the soil lacks moisture the phosphates seriously
injure germination, and the subsequent benefit may be more
than offset by the injury done to the seed. The soil appears
to have a superabundance of lime, which without doubt com-
bines with the phosphate and renders it to some extent in-
soluble. It has been noticeable in several instances that the
phosphates appear to act the second year with more effect
than the first ; but this fact can only be established beyond
a doubt by careful and long-continued experiments.

It would appear that if the phosphates were broadcasted
some time before sowing the wheat, the benefits to the first
crop might be greater.

— 104 —

Wheat and different Fertilizers, 1881-

The following experiments to test the effect of various
fertilizers were suggested by Prof. Atwater. At the time
they were planned it was expected that they would be per-
formed in several States. The plots contained 35 of an acre

each, were 66 rods long and three drill- hale aie each
plot was separated from the others by a vacant space of two
feet. The crops preceding the wheat were as follows : Clo-
ver, 1876 ; corn, manured, 1877 ; oats, 1878 ; wheat, manured,
1879; corn, manured, 1880; oats, 1881. The wheat was
drilled September 13, at the rate of two bushels per acre;
the variety was Clawson. The growth was in good order,
but too dry for seed to germinate rapidly. The fertilizers
used had the following composition: nitrate of soda, 16 per
cent. nitrogen ; sulphate of ammonia, 21 per cent. nitrogen ;
dried blood, 11 per cent. nitrogen ; superphosphate (dissolved
bone black), 15 per cent. soluble and 16 per cent. total phos-
phoric acid ; muriate of potash, 50 per cent. potash.

No.of

Kind and quantity of fertilizers used. plot Yield.
bushels.
WLITAte OL SOUR, 160 Wat as 2 ene eee esses ce ae5 pecan a i
[gine PUOBDNEALG, S00 IDSisecveodceneeeceseecscceyesc sees. see 2 24.66
Muriate Of PORSSN; 1h0 Iss. 2c cote cece geen one eos 3 29.5
, Nitrate of soda, 150 lbs., super phosphate, S00: IDSs. a5see2 4 26.66
ING TOURNGARS: 2 For oi ok a ah see ee ene ee N2 29.66
aes of soda, 150 lbs., muriate of potash, 150 Ibs. .....- 5 32.66
Superphosphate, 300 Ibs., muriate of potash, 150 Ibs...-.-. 6 29.16
IN OVC EU ULLISOIM sc aaw oan occ caue ee km tas 2c eaemenee eee memes N3 28.66
Superphosphate, 300 lbs., muriate of potash, 150 lbs.,
| NIbra be OF, BOUHs LO0UNS.25-.~ == saGee usec ee eee <== gee eeee % 32.33
Superphosphate, 300 lbs., muriate of potash, 150 Ibs.,
4 Mibrate Of SO08, BOOIDS, So. oc ase ceccceveuysseerscemeuncas 8 29.86
Superphosphate, 300 lbs., muriate of potash, 150 Ibs.,

THNtrate.O1 S08, 460 1S. 2.5252 6 oes sae 4s oe oc eee 9 29.16
Superphosphate, 300 lbs., muriate of potash, 150 Ibs....... 6a 80.00
Superphosphate, 300 lbs., Sulphate of ammonia, 112% lbs.,

muriate of potash, 150) [8.es.f05: scm Fane scene ees ow! 10 29.83
Superphosphate, 300 lbs., sulphate of ammonia, 225 Ibs.,

muriate of potash, 160 lbs. 222-2; 2-2 oe ee 11 29.82
Superphosphate, 300 lbs., sulphate of ammonia, 325 lbs.,

muriate.of potash, 150 lbs... ..-3-.2<5. 2. esas ceyesnences 12 27.16
Superphosphate, 300 lbs., muriate of potash, 150 Ibs...... 66 34.16
Superphosphate, 300 lbs., dried blood, 225 lbs., muriate of

MOTHS, 150, Ws; Sead a oa oe ee eee ae aor 13 32.66
Superphosphate, 300 lbs., dried blood, 450 lbs., muriate of

HOAs N16) JOS, 6 foc a eee a eae ts 14 35.66

| Superphosphate, 300 lbs., dried blood, 675 lbs., muriate of
{ POtRSH db WDE: ece eee 3d anes oa ace cee season a sas 15 38.66
Superphosphate, 300 lbs., muriate of mere 150 Ibs. ..... 6e 32.83

DG TORCLI@O TS 22. eee coe sas ae et a ree re aed N4 34.00

— 105 —

About ten days after sowing the plots were examined, and
it was evident that the phosphates had seriously injured the
germination of the wheat, and that where they were used
alone the damage was greater than where they were used in
conjunction with nitrate of soda, potash, or dried blood.
Experiments have frequently shown that in dry soils the
damage done to the seed by phosphates, when used in lib-
eral quantities, is very great; this fact has led us to the
practice of mixing gypsum with phosphates in about equal
proportions. The wheat is then drilled with one-half the
quantity of seed and fertilizers desired, and then re-drilled
crosswise ; this distributes both seed and fertilizer most ad-
mirably, and gives with us a marked increase in yield over
the old method. It will be observed that the plots are
arranged in groups. From 1 to 6 inclusive is the prelim-
inary group, from 7 to 9 inclusive the nitric acid group,
from 10 to 12 inclusive the ammonia group, from 13 to 15
inclusive the organic nitrogen group; and N. 2, N. 3, N. 4
might be called the non-fertilized group. The average yield
per acre of the various groups was as follows: Preliminary,
28.44 bushels; nitric acid, 30.45 bushels; ammonia, 28.93
bushels ; organic-nitrogen, 35.66 bushels ; non- fertilized,
30.77 bushels.

Two valuable lessons appear in these experiments: First,
that concentrated fertilizers—under certain conditions of
soil—when applied liberally and in direct contact with the
seed, may do quite as much harm as good; second, that
nitrogen, when applied in the form of dried blood, is far
more effective than when applied in the form of nitrate of
soda or sulphate of ammonia.

— 106 —
XV.

THE RELATIVE PROPORTION OF NUTRIENTS IN THE
TOPS AND BUTTS OF CORN-STALKS.

By Pror. G. C. CALDWELL.

THIS examination was made at the request of the Onon-
daga Farmers’ Club. Under tops, the leaves and the upper
half of the stalk are included; and under butts, the lower
half of the stalk stripped of its leaves. The following av-
erages are calculated from the table on page 107:

Butts. | Tops.

15.55 14.05

7.00 5.91

6.82 6.79

1.26 1.53
31.33 40.5

30.46

1 Containing real albuminoids (Stutzer) --.---- 2.98 5.31

In the smaller proportion of ash and the larger proportion
of real albuminoids and non-nitrogenous extractive matter
or carbhydrates, the tops are shown to have a greater value
than the butts ; if digestion experiments could be performed
with the two parts of the stalk, a still greater advantage
would doubtless appear in favor of the tops. The examina-
tion was suggested by the necessity of cutting the stalks
and otherwise preparing them, in order to persuade the
cattle to eat the whole; and the query was propounded
whether the nutriment in the butts would pay for such
labor. Though poorer than the tops, yet they are richer
than oat straw.

— 107 —

XVI.

MALT SPROUTS COMPARED WITH GRAIN, AND ENSIL-
AGE COMPARED WITH DRY FEED FOR MILCH COWS.

By Pror. G. C. CALDWELL.

Two sets of feeding experiments were tried for these pur-
poses, one with a set of five cows, extending from December
1, 1881, to May 1, 1882, and the other with a set of three
cows, extending from March 21 to May 1, 1882. All the
animals were of native breeds. Each set was fed for at
least a fortnight on the ration to be tested ; the analysis of
the milk included every milking during the last six days of
each period. The ration in pounds per cow and day, the
so-called digestible nutritive ratio of the ration, the average
yield of milk in pounds per cow and day during the last six
days of each period, and the per cent. of solids and fat in
the mixed milk of all the cows of each set for the same
period, are given below. The digestibility of the ensilage
was taken to be the same as that of green fodder corn.

Set of five cows:

Yield
Nut. | of |Solids| Fat.
a) MOK
First period.—Cornstalks, 9.5; clover hay, 9.5; bran,
B2b5 COrnamealy 8:55.00 06 noe - oe see 1:7.4] 19.7 | 13.3 4,02
Second period.—Cornstalks, 9.5; clover hay, 9.5;
MalGiSpROUis ese. .os sacs <- see er 1:5 17.4 | 13.68 | 4.04
Third period.—Cornstalks, 8; ensilage, 46; malt
sprouts, 4; corn meal, 3........... 1:8.5 | 16.7 | 13.34
Fourth period.—Cornstalks, 8; clover hay, 4; oat
straw, 4; malt sprouts, 3; corn
meal, 2; wheat bran, 2...-......-- 1:7.1 | 15.7 | 18.45 | 4.03
Fifth period.—Ensilage, 50; malt sprouts, 3; corn
meal, 2; wheat bran, 2............ 1:95 | 16 13.24 | 3.71
Sixth period. —Cornstalks, 8; clover hay, 4; oat
straw, 4; cotton-seed meal, 9..... 1:3.1 | 16.4 | 18.88 | 4.34

Set of three cows:

Yield
Rue of |Solids|Fat.
BeOS mille.

First period.—Ensilage, 50; malt sprouts, 3; corn
meal, 2; wheat bran, 2 30; 15.9
Second period. —Cornstalks, 8; clover, 4; oat straw,

4; malt sprouts, 3 3; corn meal, 2;

wheat bran, 2 eT 16.6
Third period.—Ensilage, 50 ; malt sprouts, 3; corn

meal, 2; wheat bran, 2 1:9. 18.6

— 103 —

The rations of the first and second periods, with five cows,
were continued for about a month. In the sixth period with
the same set of cows such a large proportion of cotton-seed
meal was substituted for the grain for the special purpose
of noting the effect on the milk.

As to the effect of the ensilage on the yield and composi-
tion of milk, no marked results are exhibited ; in the case
of the second set of cows there is a notable increase in yield
in passing from the second to the third period, without any
falling off or improvement in quality ; but no such result
is given by the other set; it may also be observed in favor
of ensilage that the usual diminution in yield with the con-
tinuance of lactation is to some extent overcome. More
than this, the most that appears to be safely established by
these feeding trials, is that ensilage can be substituted for
dry feed of good quality without danger of any notable
change in respect to the milk.

The comparatively slight changes in the yield and char-
acter of the milk, with the wide changes in the nutritive
ratio, or the proportion of albuminoids to other digestible
matters in the ration, is a very noticeable result of these
trials ; it appears to be indicated thereby either that this
nutritive ratio is of less importance than it is commonly
taken to be, or that the very commonly adopted period of
two weeks on each ration in feeding trials is not long enough
for the ration to produce its effect. This latter point will
be made the subject of a special inquiry in some future ex-
periments.

In December, 1881, Prof. Cook, of New Jersey,! set apart
four cows from the herd of the college farm, for a test of
the feeding qualities of ensilage for milk. Each ration was
continued for twenty days, and the milk of the last five
days of each period was analyzed. The rations in pounds
per day, and 1,000 lbs. live weight, and yield of milk per
cow per day, and composition of the milk are given below
in the same manner as in the previous table.

1Report of New Jersey Experiment Station for 1882.

— 109 —

Set 1, two cows :

First period.—Dried fodder corn, 20; wheat bran,
3; brewer’s grains, 30

Second period.—Same as first

Third period.—Ensilage, 50; wheat bran, 3; brew-

er’s grains, 30.

Set 2, two cows:

N | Yield
Nut. | “of |Solids |Fat.
ratio.) milk.
First period.—Dried fodder corn, 20; wheat bran,
3; brewer’s grains, 30........-.-. 1:5.1 | 17.3.) 18.87 | 4.27
Second period.—Ensilage, 50; wheat bran, 5; brew-
ORS) STAINS; 30: cadec-s 2-ee seen nice 1:5 18.5 | 14.01 | 4.42
Third period.—Same as in the first......-.-..--.--- 1:5 73 | 14t5l | 4858
Averages for the four cows fed on fodder corn,
bran and brewer's grains, in the first period. - 98:2. | Ta 14,27
Averages for the four cows fed on ensilage, bran
and grains, in the third period................ 22.1 | 14.09 | 4.55

The effect of ensilage on either yield or quality of milk
in these experiments also is not marked, whatever change
there is being in the direction of the natural alteration that
takes place with continuance of lactation.

CORNELL UNIVERSITY.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

a —_———__—

ce ee eae ye

CHARLES KENDALL Apams, LL. D.,
President,

GEORGE CHAPMAN CALDWELL, B. 5%, Ph. D.,
Professor of Agricultural and Analytical Chemistry.

Burt GREEN WILDER, B. S., M. D.,
Professor of Physiology, Comparative Anatomy and Zoology.

James Law, F. R. C. V. S.,
Professor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery,

ALBERT NELSON PRENTISS, M. S.,
Professor of Botany, Horticulture and Arboriculture.

CHARLES ASHMEAD SCHAEFFER, A. M., Ph. D.,
Professor of General and Analytical Chemistry and of Mineralogy.

Isaac PHILuips ‘Roperts, M. Agr.,
Professor of Agriculture.

Joun Henry Comstock, B. §.,
Professor of Entomology and of General Invertebrate Zoology.

WiLL1AM RussELL DuDLEy, M. S.,
Assistant Professor of Cryptogamic Botany.

Henry SHALER WILLIAMS, Ph. D.,
Professor of Geology and Paleontology.

Simon Henry GacgE, B. S.,
Assistant Professor of Physiology and Lecturer on Microscopical Technology.

= ——
SPENCER BairnD NeEwesury, E. M., Ph. DD

Acting Professor of Organic and Applied Chémistry.
L. B. ARNOLD,

Non-resident Lecturer on the Dairy.

FRANK Howarp Morgan, B. S.,
Instructor in Cuantitative Analytical Chemistry.

EUGENE Henry Preswick, B. S.,
Instructor in Qualitative Analytical Chemistry.

ELBERT WILLIAM Rockwoop, B. S.,

Instructor in General Chemistry, Mineralogy, and Assaying.

CHARLES SMITH PRosseEr, M. S.,
Instructor in Paleontology.

James F. Kemp, Ph. D.
Instructor in Geology.

’

SYDNEY SmMItH Twomey, B. &.,
Laxperimental Analyst.

STEPHEN HENRY CROSSMAN,
Experimental Assistant.

GEORGE W. TaILpy,

Foreman on the Farm.

ROBERT SHORE,
Flead Gardener and Florist.

i.

. MATERIAL EQUIPMENT.

The University Farm, including the campus, consists of
257 acres of land, the larger part of which is used for ex-
perimental purposes and the illustration of the principles of
agriculture. Nearly all the domestic animals are kept to
serve the same ends. Those portions of the farm and stock
not used for experiments are managed with a view to their
greatest productiveness. Statistics of both experiments and
management are kept on such a system as to show at the
close of each year the profit or loss not only of the whole
farm but of each crop and group of animals.

The Barns are two in number. The south barn is devoted
to the needs of the horticultural department, and also
furnishes accommodations for the sheep and young cattle.
The north barn is used for experimental purposes and
the general needs of the farm. The large basement con-
tains a covered yard and accommodations for the dairy
cows, thirty in number, besides a cellar for the roots, and
places for the cattle scales, the boiler and the engine. In
the first story is a large floor into which wagons loaded with
all kinds of farm produce may drive, and there be unloaded
by horse power, the barn being provided with the most ap-
proved apparatus for this purpose. The floor also provides
accommodations for a large number of farm wagons and
carriages, hand tools, farm implements and threshed grain,
besides containing the office and room for washing carriages.
The second story contains the stationary thresher, chaffer,
grain, straw and hay, and a sleeping room for workmen. In
the wing attached to the main barn both common and box
stalls are provided for twenty horses.

— iv —

The Dairy House, not far from the main barn, is a two-
story wooden building sufficiently capacious for all the pur-
poses of making butter and cheese. The floor of the lower
story is of small stones covered with cement. The outside
walls of the building are of two thicknesses of boards and
three of heavy paper, so arranged as to form four air spaces.
The equipment of the building comprises a boiler, an engine,
two creamers (a Cooley and a Ferguson), and other modern
appliances for the manufacture of butter and cheese. The
work done by students in dairy husbandry is under the di-
rect supervision of Professor L. B. Arnold, and proceeds
simultaneously with the yearly lectures given by him. The
plant is used almost exclusively for purposes of investiga-
tion, and not for commercial purposes.

Museums, Reading Room, and Special Laboratory.—Seven
large rooms in Morrill Hall are set apart for the exclusive use
of the department of agriculture. The lecture-room is
furnished with suitable maps, charts, drawings, ete., and a
viscometer, ‘The reading-room has on file all the leading
agricultural journals, and the books bearing directly upon
the subjects taught are here made more accessible than they
would be in the general library. The large museum ad-
joining contains among other things the Rau models (the
collection consisting of 187 models of plows made at the
Royal Agricultural College of Wiirtemberg), 250 varieties
of wheat, and a large number of models representing a great
variety of agricultural implements. In the lower story one
room is devoted to foreign and one to American implements.
Another room is fitted up for a workshop and contains cases
of all hand tools used in agriculture. During inclement
weather students are here taught the use of the hammer,
the saw, the plane, ete., by making gates, repairing im-
plements and the like. Another room is furnished with
power and contains the larger kinds of farm machinery. A
self-binder is taken apart and put together twice yearly by
the class,and each student is required to become familiar
with the machines by using them and the engine which
drives them.

—_ Vv—

The General Laboratories of the University in all depart-
ments related to agriculture are freely open to agricultural
students. The laboratories in which special attention is
paid to studies in agriculture are those of botany, chemistry,
entomology, zoology, microscopy, anatomy, and geology.
Hach of these is fully equipped with the best appliances for
modern scientific research, and each one is under the charge
of an eminent specialist.

A Large Conservatory in connection with the department
of botany is conducted with special reference to the needs
of students, and furnishes an ample supply of botanical ma-
terial throughout the year,

The Agricultural Library embraces some six thousand
volumes on agricultural subjects, including veterinary sci-
ence, and: comprises the best works of both European and
American writers,

As above mentioned, the works most frequently used are
made constantly accessible by being placed in the agricult-
ural reading room.: The remainder are kept with the gen-
- eral library, which is at all times open to students.

iT,
COURSES OF STUDY IN AGRICULTURE.

A,

The complete course in Agriculture, leading to the degree
of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.

Freshman Year. 1st Term. 2d Term. 3d Term.
Mathematics, ____ Sete ee Dt) neem ee 5
French orGerman 5 ...........__. i ees eee 5
English _._____. Be We See A 5% 7 arenes) es 2
Freehand drawing 3 _______....... eee 3

ts) 15 15

Military drill... 2 Physical train’g 2 Military drill 2
Hygiene.._____- 6 lectures.

Sais

Sophomore Year. 1st Term. 2d Term. 3d Term.
Hap ish.s 2<c eas ll sce we le aka ee t, £ eases 1
PNYVeies2ac aed O sae es ane ae oc Sesh Se ape 3
Invertebrate zool. 3 Vertebrate zool. 3 Botany..--. 3
Physiology...... 3 Psychology.... 2 Logic....-- 3
Microscopy -.--- - aren were eee ees | eevee

Chemistry... .- eee Botan ae

13 15 16

Military drill... 2 Physical train’g 2 Military drill 2
MIGGWUVOS Lo scaa 5 SOO cp Seen a en 3

Junior Year. Ist Term. 2d Term. 3d Term.
Akt (:- a Seco eee ee a 22 cdegaaees 2

The remaining work of the junior year, and all the work
of the senior year, is elective, with the provision that at
least twelve hours must be devoted continuously to studies
specially relating to agriculture or horticulture, a list of
which is given below (the studies being arranged somewhat
in the general order in which they should be taken):

Agricultural chemistry : lectures; laboratory work in
qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Botany : composite and graminee; arboriculture and
landscape gardening ; vegetable physiology, vegetable his-
tology; fungi and alge, and systematic and applied botany.

Geology, economic: lectures.

Entomology : lectures and laboratory practice.

Horticulture: lectures and field work.

Veterinary studies: anatomy and physiology, pathology,
sanitary science, parasites, medicine and surgery.

Agriculture: lectures and field work.

Land surveying.

This course, it will be seen, is intended not only to give
the student that practical knowledge of the science of agri-
culture which will fit him to become a successful farmer,
but also to furnish such general scientific and literary cult-
ure, combined with technical training in agriculture, as will
qualify the student to fill successfully any position as a
teacher of agriculture, writer upon agricultural journals, or

— vii —

superintendent of large operations that he may be called
upon to fill, A large number who have taken this complete
course are now filling positions of this kind. Of Cornell
graduates now exerting an influence for the advancement of
agricultural knowledge in this country there may be men-
tioned, in illustration, Mr. Lazenby, Professor of Horticult-
ure in the Ohio State University, and Director of the State
Experiment Station ; Mr. Holmes, Professor in the Univer-
sity of North Carolina ; Mr. Wing, Professor of Agriculture
in the Nebraska State University ; Mr. Comstock, Professor
of Entomology in Cornell University, formerly United States
Entomologist ; Mr. Henry, Professor of Agriculture in Wis-
consin University ; Mr. Trelease, of the Shaw School of Bot-
any, author of many well-known works on the fertilization
of flowers and upon parasitic fungi; Mr. Salmon, United
States Veterinarian ; Mr. Smith, assistant to the U. 8. Vet-
erinarian ; Mr. Howard, first assistant to the U. 8. Entomol-
ogist; Mr. Aubert, Professor in the Maine State Agricult-
ural College; Mr. H. W. Smith, Professor in the Agricult-
ural School at Truro, Halifax ; and Mr. Atkinson, Professor
in the University of North Carolina.

B.

Special course in Agriculture, not leading to a degree.

There are a large number of farmers’ sons who would be
glad to spend one or two years at the University pursuing
studies in applied agriculture, of whom the four years’ course
demands too much in the way of preparation, as well as of
time and expense. To accommodate this class a special
course has been provided, the only requirements of which
are that students must possess a fair knowledge of English,
and must select at least three-fourths of their studies from
the list of elective studies in agriculture, given above. This
enables the student even in one year to attend the courses
of lectures given by the Professor of Agriculture, the Pro-
fessor of Veterinary Science, and the Professor of Agricult-

— villi —

ural Chemistry, and thus affords him a systematic and prac-
tical knowledge of those branches that will be of most
service to him. Special students, during the time they are
in the University, enjoy equal advantages in all respects
with students studying for a degree.

IIl.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COURSES—INFOR-
MATION.

Students in the four years’ course are presumed at the
time of their admission to be fairly familiar with all of the
rudimentary operations of the farm. If they are not, they
can acquire this knowledge and practice either at the Uni-
versity farm or under the eye of some good farmer during
their first summer vacation.

All students are required to work five hours each week
for one year, under the direct supervision of the Professor
of Agriculture, in the farm workshop, in the barns, or in
the fields. Nearly as much more time is spent by them in
the fields and barns, under the Professors of Veterinary Sci-
ence, Botany and Horticulture, Geology and Entomology.
Students receive no pay for this or any other educational
work. The field-work supplements the lectures and recita-
tions, in order that the application and value of the princi-
ples taught may be thoroughly understood and remembered
by the student.

In applied agriculture, lectures and recitations are given
daily throughout one year; a like amount of time is given
to veterinary science and also to botany and horticulture.
Three lectures each week for two terms, with laboratory
practice, are given in entomology. Much time is devoted
to agricultural chemistry and geology, and the teaching is
with special reference to their application to agriculture.

—— i

Visits are made from time to time to the best farms and
herds in New York and Canada, in order that the students
may have opportunities for a wide range of study and com-
parison, and may come into direct contact and relations
with the best class of farmers. These visits give the stu-
dents the best of opportunities for studying the results of
science. and practice combined.

For the benefit of both teacher and student many experi-
ments are entered into. The results of some of these inves-
tigations have been given to the public in published reports.
Specific information in regard to all matters connected with
the University is given in the Register, which will be sent
free on application to Mr. E. L. Williams, Treasurer of the
University.

IV.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION.

For admission to the course leading to a degree, students
must be at least sixteen years of age, and they are required
to pass an examination in arithmetic, geography, grammar,
elementary algebra, plane geometry and physiology. Re-
gents’ diplomas and _ pass cards, and certificates from ap-
proved high schools and academies, are accepted in place of
these. For admission to the special course not leading to
a degree students must be at least eighteen years of age, and
must satisfy the Professor of Agriculture of their ability to
carry on the work with profit.

Full instructions on this head will be found in the Uni-
versity Register.

Vv.
TUITION FEES.

To ALL students of agriculture tuition is Grarurrovs,

erie! University.

The following statement of Courses of Instruction is taken from
the latest official announcement of the University:

ere CHNIGAM COURSES:

( Applied Agriculture.......... Six Courses.
Agricultural Chemistry...... . Nine Courses.
Botany and Horticulture...... Twenty-two Courses.
AGrreuL@ury,~ Hntomology.... 02 5.). 26.52: Nine Courses.
Physiology and Zoology...... Fourteen Courses.
Veterinary Science...... .... Three Courses.

[ SURVey UTC i earttrel vac . i. 7 One Course.
ARCHITECTURE...... eer Ten Seles SPSS: RPE ehh Twenty-six Courses,
Oivite BINGINEERING J. f. 022655. 2e ent .....Thirty-three Courses.
IMNCHANICAT WINGINBERING bo. 0. o.fo0 ete ete Nineteen Courses.
Puysics anp ELEctricaAu)/HNGINEERING........ Sixteen Courses.

THe Science anp Art or TEACHING. .... .....Hight Courses.

lo CENERAL,; COURSES.
STESDISI: CA D e A ss ae cll. «-5 Lhinty-nime) Courses.
fiers Sar Se I OLS. Eanes apalte Thirty-six Courses.
Comparative Puinonocy...............:.--One Course.
RMI TO TUANGUAGES . (aN. alee lareh View ctaicie'a «\+ Twenty-five Courses.
Briesamo MMPANGUAGHS:s of sa). ogres tee Sas sity eces 43 Twenty-four Courses.
Ewnetisn, Ruetoric, AND ORATORY.......... .. Thirty Courses.
PPHIBOSOPHY so. ds os rns Ne: Ba ieee: ares Seventeen Courses.
Hisrory anv Pourrican Sornce........ .....Forty-one Courses.
PPEUIOG RAPHY 5 abe ots ic afausinte ated tals wise One: Course:
MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY.............-.. Sixty-six Courses.
Cuemistry, Mineratocy, AND Merauiurey....Thirty-nine Courses.
GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY...... ee ae Thirteen Courses.
MiIngrARy) SOLENCE AND TACTICS. 6.00008 0 o's One Course.

For fuller information, see fourth page of cover.
For the Register, containing a complete description of the Univer-
sity, apply to

THE TREASURER OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY,
ITHACA, N. Y.

Oe

LIBRARY OF CONGRES

" ! |

®@5707@

CORNEEE UNIVERSITY.

SPECIAL ~ FEATURES.

Teaching. | For those who desire to fit themselves for teaching,

Cornell University offers special facilities. Professor 8. —
G. Witurams, Ph. D., Professor of the Science and the ~
Art of Teaching, lectures throughout the year, treating”
of the Science of Education, School Instruction, the
Organization and Management of Schools, Supervision,
School Buildings and Ap pliances, Hygiene, "School Heon-.
omy, ete. A seminary for the discussion of questions
presented by the lectures is also condueted throughout.
the year. A’ SPECIALSCERTIFICATE IN PEDA=
GOGY is given to graduates of the University who have.
completed ‘these courses.

Medical Pre- | _. Po those who desire to become physicians. the Two
aratory Years’ Course Preparatory to the Study of Medicine
pa offers special advantaves. Instruction is given in Chem-

Course. istry, Physiology, An: atomy, Microscopy, Botany. Vet-
erinary Svience, Zoology. -ete, A SPECIAL DIPLOMA,
is conferred on the comple tion of the course.
Law. | A Law Department will be opened in September, 1887 —

The University possesses a Law Library numbering
some 5,000 volames. The course will be complete and
thorough, the instruction of the best, and the expense
moderate.

Summer A SUMMER COURSE IN ENTOMOLOGY besins,

Course,| the Monday following Sones and extends over
ten weeks. The chief object of the course is to give
training in methods of natural history work,

Agriculture. Special students in Agriculture are received without
examination, on condition that they are at least eivhteen
years of age, and satisfy the Professor of Agriculture of
their ability to prodat by the instruction afforded. Turrion
iS FREE TO ALL SUCH STUDENTS.

Special Special Students are received at any time, without ex-_

Students) amination, to prosecute such studies as they desire. Such
students, excepting those in Agriculture, must be at
least twenty-one years of age, and must be recommended
to the Faculty by the head of the department in whieh
they desire to work.

Graduate | Special facilities are afforded for college graduates de-
Study.) siring to pursue advanced studies. To all such students)
' | tuition is FREER. 2 ea

T
For further information, see second and third page§ ef the cover.
The University Register, containing a full description of the vari- _
ous courses, terms of admission, cost of residence, ete., is sent free
on application to

THE TREASURER of Cornell University, Imuaca, N. y