The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1903-08-29
FARMER AND PLANTER.
DROUGHT SAVER BANK.
Telling Argument in Favor of the
stlo ON Farms where sheep
or Cattle are Raised.

This is year of drought, food and
disaster all over the United States.
NO section has at this date June y
escaped, Floods in the west, SHOWS
m the northwest, freezes in the fruit
oeits and droughts more general
man ever before known in the month
81 May, forest fires raging in the
timber belts and the truck farms of
New Jersey and parts of New York,
ncinding Long Island. literally
burned with drought; yet with all
this the great and good Lord will get
us through in some way. Last season
was one of growth. Thousands of
IONS OF corn fodder was allowed to
waste in the field. yet. i have seen
acres of corn stalks burned up this
spring to get them out of the way,
winch, had they been put in a silo last
TAI, would now be furnishing sheep
iced and cow feed to animals that are
nosing over barren pastures trying
10 root out green blade from among
rocks and gravel stones. Herein lies
iesson-where there is an album
lance or surplus save it. The time
always has come and always will
rome when the surplus will be need
ed Some will say that saving corn
ID the silo for cow feeding is all
right, but that sheep won't eat it..
Wei, thought so once, but l don't
think so now. ] have learned les
son. A silo that had been filed three
years ago for the first was not emp
tied the following winter, about five
feet being left over. The next year
new silage was put on top of it, and
that was not quite fed off, leaving
full eight feet. Last fall it was again
hlled on top, but last winter poor
hay brought it down to six feet. MAY
|, when the drought began. no pas
fure for either cattle or sheep, the
cattle could get along all right on
the silage with a small barren pas
ture to grub on, but what were the
sheep to do? A small field, with
mighty little pasture on it, clover hay
all gone, lambs just dropped must
have milk or perish. Well, the sheep
were uneasy, must go out, no help
Tor 1t. But did they stop the craving
tor the silage? No, not a bit of it.
The little bit of pasture satisfied
them, but the silage fed them, and
that was silage put in the silo in 1900,
fhree-y ear-old silage. Did the ewes
shrink in milk? No, not a bit. Did the
lambs dwarf? Not bit of it. There
Is still some silage left, and the sheep
relish IT and thrive on it. Oh, il ].
only had enough of it, wouldn't care
II il did not rain in two months, as
far as sheep pasture is concerned, no,
nor COW feed either. The cows thrive,
and have found it just as good for
sheep as for cows. Now for the les
son. If the good Lord ever lets rain
enough come to grow the corn, up
will go another silo, and IL will be
filed to the brim. and i will name it
Drought Saver bank. ] will draw
on it when l need to do so. If
drought does not put in an appear
ance next year we will let the silo
sleep sealed up; it won't spoil. 1t is
food deposited subject to check, a
sinking fund for the breeding eve as
well as for the dairy cow or fatten-
ing steer Think it over, reader, and
see if it would not be wise for you
to do 1ikewise.-C. ID. Smead, in Ma
tional Stockman.