The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-07-09
FARMERAND PLANTER.
THE SUGAR BEET FOR SWINE.



1t has been said that we are living in
an age when all kinds of successful
business is thought out before it is
worked out, and this is peculiarly true
of that branch Of live stock husbandry
known as swine breeding; for to be
successful with hogs requires head
work ss well as hand work. Now is
the time for thinking out and arrang-
ing for next winters supply of rations
for your pigs. There is no stock that
needs succulence in their food more
than swine or that will repay better
for supplying it, especially the breed
ing herd.
Farmers and breeders generally do
not recognize the full value of the root
crop as supplementary feed to corn,
or when judiciously used with other
feed of more concentrated nature.
The artichoke is valuable in its way
and season, and has the merit of slim
ulating the herd to take needed exer-
else in that the hogs dig them them
selves in the winter, when the ground
is not too much frozen, as they are not
injured by frost; but they are some
what distasteful to the tidy farmer,
and If not planted where the pillow can
reach are not always easy to eradicate,
and at the time most needed, during
severely cold weather, are not avail
able unless dug and stored. which is a
tedious job. However, we have had
patch for several years and shall con-
tinue to raise them, but in the future
our main dependence for root crop
will be the sugar beet. Hogs win eat
them in preference to other roots and
the larger amount of saccharine mat
ter-about eight per cent. renders
them more nutritious. For quality
Lanes improved imperial sugar beet is
the variety we sow.
In our breeding of Berlsshires we
had long felt the need of succulent
feed for brood sows and fall
filters during the severe win
ter weather "a ration which
could be produced on our farm
and SO reduce to the minimum the
amount of "boughten stuff" in the way
OF mill feed, oil meal, etc. As result
OF q conversation with Mr.. A. j. Love-
joy, gave the sugar beat trial, .and
last year had over 800 lbdshels OF beets
from a little over an acre Of ground
and wish tosay that no silhiiar area
on the farm ever produced 50 profitable
q crop or so abundant amount OF feed
ns did this patch of sugar bects. We
fed them whole, and as pastures were
short in the fall we pulled and fed
many of them, and it was surpris-
ing with what avidity the stock
would cat them, particularly
the tops. Frost does not in
my wise injure the tops and we did
not dig and pit our crop until late in
The last beets taken out
Of the pit this spring were as fresh and
crisp as when placed there and they
will not all be fed out until grass
comes.
For the benefit of any interested
will speak more particularly Of our ex-
perience in raising them. which can
doubtless be improved on. Six to
eight pounds of seed will sow an acre
and can be bought of any leading seeds
man at from 20 to rs cents per pound.
We use drill, drilling the seed rather
thick in the row to insure good stand, |
and rows two feet apart in good, rich
land, which was plowed rather deep,
and the seed bed was most thoroughly
prepared. The patch was narrowed |
with u, very light home made harrow
before the seed came up When the |
beets were about three inches high l |
thinned them out in the row to about |
tx to nine inches apart. l used q |
wheel hoe and kept the ground free |
rom weeds. The last cultivation was
yiven about July 1. 1t would be
;heaper and easier TO use o one-horse |
but we did not happen to |
nave one. We found that thinning the
oeets involved more labor than any |
,ther single item of work.
We shall continue to grow an acre or
% every year, as nothing we have e7er
ed has kept our hogs in such nice con-
lition during the winter at q minimuml
II expense. and for breeding sows
aothing can excel them. While red
clover and corn are the cornerstone of |
american feeding. each has its hmita-
ions and possibilities, and the sugar
,ect comes the nearest to supplying
he place of green clover during our
'igerous winters Of anything we have |
ried. Swine breeders will have. less
ausc for complaint Of bad luck" with
heir spring farrows when they feed
more roots. We can profitablv stuf1v |