The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-03-28
BULLETIN NO. THIRTY FIVE
Devoted to Forage Plants and
Pig Feeding, now Being
Distributed.

Is now being distributed The subjects
covered are forage plants and pig feeding.
Under the former is given complete results
of experiments thus far carried on in grow
ing clover, vetches, corn and tho fiat pea
From that portion of the bulletin devoted
to forage plants, the following interesting
paragraphs have been culled:
As extensive wheat farming gives way to
more intensive system of farming, the at.
tention of farmers will be turned toward
better fodder plants than those found on
the farms throughout large portion Of the
state. Stock raising must go along with
any system of intensive farming. The
coarse products of the farm must be con-
verted into meat and dairy products. and
thus returning large portion of the tertl-
lizing elements to the soil. At the pres
ent time considerable attention is being d.
rected toward the dairy industury, as a
source of revenue on the farm. And that
a better knowledge of some OF the COM
mon forage plants may be obtained, the
| following report is made. 1t is an indis-
putable fact that many dairy enterprises
have met entire failure because there has
not been enough attention given to srpply-
ing the stock with suitable food during
| times of scarcity.
| The natural pasture will supply an abun-
dance of food during portion of the year,
although it is many times inferior to the ar
tifcial supply, or that which is raised by
| A. Il on, a a
pend upon natural pasturage. they Will not
make the most of the opportunities that are
so richly bestowed throughout large por-
tion of the state 1t is only in the most
favored localities that natural pasturage will
pay. We hear the early settlers tell of the
luxuriant vegetation which covered the
hills and valleys during the pioneer days
of the state, and some think it strange that
the hills can not be induced to renew their
verdure. and again be covered with a coat
consisting of the native grasses and plants.
The native or wild grasses, which once
covered the hills and valleys, have vanished
never to appear again. They have gone out
with the native red man. never to occupy
49,
agricultural history of the older portions of
this country, and in the countries of
the old world The crops of today, in
these localities, are such as have become de-
I'veloped and domesticated from the wild
species found, often in foreign lands. As
the imported breeds of stock are superior to
native stock, in many cases, so are the
grasses and forage plants, coming from for
eign soil better adapted to modern agricul-
ture.
1t is not our intention to ignore the ma
tural pasture where variety of nutritious
grasses are found. Such condition is very
often a source of profit to the stock raiser
and the dairyman. It becomes TOO expen-
sive, an operation, howe eysa where land be
comes valuable. 1t reqnirI too much land
to support single animal. 1t is not an un-
. common sight to see farmers moving ma
5 tive meadows that do not yield more than
, one ton of inferior hay per acre. Many OF
} the native pastures do not average COW tt
Ave acres, and some men of authority Oh
the subject put it one COW to ten acres. Or
egon has outgrown this method and should
t take step upward. 1t is the subject O
this bulletin to mention some of the forage
plants which have been tested on the Ex
perimental grounds and on the College
farm. In all cases, except the fiat pea. the
plants have been used for several years III Il
practical way, as well as in certain expert
ments.
The first on the list is clover. Glover is
king where it can be grown successfully
and that will include large portion, if moi
all, of Oregon, west of the Cascade noun
! tains. 1t has been successfully grown il
several parts of Eastern Oregon, but onr OBJ
servations do not cover that portion OF the
state. Many native clovers are found
widely distributed over the western part o
the state, and several of these valuable
for hay and pasturage.
The yields of clover hay obtained on the
!, experimental grounds and on the farm are
very fattering, indeed. In 1898, twenty
acre field yielded SO tons, by actual weight
The same field, in 1894, yielded go tons
This is from cutting. The second
, crop is usually we'll filled with seed; but we
have never made any attempt to save it, from
the fact there are no machines for cleaning
the seed in this part of the state. ThI Iesh'
ing machines are sometimes used, but nc
one seems to know how to operate them
for this purpose.
In making clover hay some pains must be
r taken to prevent serious loss. The leaves
OF the clover will dry much quicker than
the stems; and if the hay lies spread on the
ground until the stem is dry, the leaves will
be lost. The best plan is to rake it up as soon
, as it is thoroughly wilted and put it up in
not too large piles. where it will cure in
, good weather, in from "a to 36 hours. 1t is
; not a good plan to let it ssand too long be
| fore hauling it into the barn. 1t may be 8
: little tough and apparently too wet to keeE
it in the barn; but if there is no rain oil
dew on it, it will suffer no harm if packed
closely in the hay NOW. De not throw
open the barn doors to let III air. Keep the
air away from it, and there will be no white
mould or musty hay when removed. The
theory of throwing open the barn doors, te
admit air to the hay has long since been ex
ploded. 1t is no longer practlced by mod
ern hay makers Some farmers salt the
hay in the now We do not; We prefer to