The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-19

treated In letter recently written to l..
9. Miller. general manager of the Seattle
q international railway, by Prof. Spillman,
agriculturist OF the government experiment
station at Pullman. The letter in full ia as
2 follows:
II should recommend the following
grasses and forage crops for dairy farm
ers In King Snohomish, Skagit and What
com counties: Italian. rye grass and red
clover, on any soils adapted to red clover;
timothy and alsike clover on wet or over
flower land; timothy and red clover on me-
dium moist soilsi peas and oats on all clay
soils adapted to oats; oats for grain on aiiu-
vial soils or any soil adapted to oats: man
gels and carrots. dwarf essex rape; Ken
mxsa D WIN wts d cavr
going are well adapted to the district in
question. and all make excellent feed for
what Dairyman says.
"As to length OF time cattle win care
for themselves, and the time necessary to
feed, quote from letter written by D. f.
Sexton, of Snohomish, one OF the most sue
cessful dairy farmers in the state, and one
who Is accurate and conservative in every
thing: In answering this, shall go on the
supposition that the dairyman has an
abundance Of good pasture suitable for
about May. would be as soon as dairy
cows should be required to depend wholly
upon pasture IN succession OF seasons or
s sooner Me th hs wo Would s Ss sss 70
supplement the pasture with other feed
say little hay or silage, and also some
bran, shorts or other grain. BY october.
the extra reed should again be given in
while many withhold the extra feed
earlier and later / think that if they have
good dairy COWS, In most cases they do II
months. This is taking no account OF short
pastures during the dry season, but then
I think that for the greatest profit most Of
preparatory to coming fresh. My own prac-
tice Is to feed more or less as may seem
proper, while cows are on pasture, as /
think little extra feed pays when the cows
Time to Harvest. M '
Crops are harvested about as follows:
italian rye grass and red clover. first cut
ting, latter part Of June; second cutting.
first part Of July; timothy and red clover,
about July s; peas and oats for hay, about
July to IL; for grain. two or three weeks
rape may be sown in fall and fed of IN
and fed on in s. summer nS - '0"A - 'p'"S
For dairy cows Italian rye grass and
red clover 10 the best Of hay. equaled, per-
haps. only by peas and oats Timothy
makes fairly good hay for cows IL cut Just
after blooming. but II left until the seeds
are hard It is At only for horses. yetch
and oats are similar to peas and oats. Rape
Is excellent feed for cows, sheep and pigs,
but will faint milk II given to COW at
any time except just after milking.
THE average yield of butter fat with ay~
erage stock depends on the farmer In
the hands Of the average man, average
cows yield about 100 pounds of fat year.
In the hands Of the good dairyman the
same cows yield about 300 pounds OF fat
year; good dairy cows in the hands of q
good dairy farmer, yield 800 to 500 pounds
a year.
Ideal Dairy Region.
II regard the. whole of Western Washing
ton as an ideal dairy region. 1t has mild
climate, neither hot in summer nor cold
in winter. 1t produces an abundance of
pasture and fodder plant on all classes of
soils, except the gravel prairies, which are
good markets, that consume far more dairy
products than the section produces.
Any country that will produce grass is
sheep country, and the more abundant
the growth Of grass the better 1t is adapt
ed to sheep. With the grasses of Western
Washington 1t is not surprising that farm
ers should complain that their sheep get too
agement. Sheep men should turn their en-
ergies to producing early spring lambs.
These lambs will grow rapidly, and unlike
old sheep. they will make bone and meat.
instead of fat. They ought to produce
quality of lambs equal to any sent TO
the Eastern markets.
Best Breeds of Sheep.
''In answer to inquiries addressed to him.
Prof. John A. Craig. of the Iowa agri-
cultural college, says, regarding the breeds
OF sheep adapted to Western Washington
conditions: 1T would be very hard tn
answer your question without knowing the
exact conditions that exist in the district
you describe. but from what you say
should expect on the low lands that the
Cotswold or some of the other long-wooled
breeds would be most satisfactory. Where
the land is more rolling the Shropshire
would likely thrive the hest. / expect that
in the rougher lands the activity of the
Shropshire would enable them to do bet
ter than any other, but this same charac-
teristic would be against them when they
are put upon lower and wetter meadows
+" The Cotswolds and other long-wooled
breeds do best under conditions where
there Is luxuriant growth of succulent
feed, and infer that this would be largely
the condition in the district your describe
Where a combination can be secured of
low, fertile SOIL with grazing land that is
rough, rolling and dryer, l think the con-
ditions are suitable for the finest type of
Shropshires This lower land could be
used for growing crops. for fattening the
produce Of the breeding fiocks, kept on
the high ground, but If there is no rolling
land In conjunction with the territory YOU
speak of, should most decidedly favor
the Cotswolds.
"Prof. Craig is considered the best au-
thority on sheep in this country, and from
what he says, conditions suited to both
these breeds of sheep are to be found in
Northwestern Washington"