The Van Buren press., 1903-07-18
FARMER AND PLANTER
DROUGHT SAVER BANK.
Telling Argument in Favor of the
siIo on Farms where sheep
or Cattle are Raised.

This is a year of drought. flood and
disaster all over the United States.
No section has at this date (June y
| escaped. Floods in the west. SHOWS
in the northwest. freezes in the fruit
belts and droughts more general
than ever before known in the month
Of May, forest fires raging in the
timber belts and the truck farms of
New Jersey and parts Of New York,
including Long Island, literally
burned with drought; yet with all
this the great and good Lord will get
MS through in some way. Last season
was one of growth. Thousands of
tons of corn fodder was allowed to
waste in the field, yet | have seen
acres of corn stalks burned up this
spring to get them out of the way,
which, had they been put in a silo last
fall, would now be furnishing sheep
feed and COW feed to animals that are
nosing over barren pastures trying
to root out a green blade from among
rocks and gravel stones. Herein lies
a lcsson-wherc there is an album
dance or surplus save IT, The time
always has come and always will
come when the surplus will be need
ed. Some will sgy that saving corn
in the sliU for COW feeding is all
right, but that sheep won't eat it.
Well, ! thought 50 once, but | don't
think so now. | have learned a les
son. \ Silo that had been filled 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 il. and
| that was not quite fed off, leaving
| fun eight feet. Last fan it was again
| filed On top. but last winter poor
hay brought il down to six feet. May
| |, when the drought began, no pas
! ture 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? 4 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
for il. But did they stop the craving
for the siage? 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.
three year-old slage. Did the ewes
! shrink in milkp No NOT a bi+ hid tho
lambs dwarf! Not bit Of it. There
is still some Yilagc left, and the sheep
relish il and thrive on il. Oh, If J.
only had enough Of il, ! wouldn't care
if 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 il Just as good for
! sheep as for cows. Now for the les
son. If the good lord ever lets vain
enough come to grow the corn, up
! will go another Silo, and il will be
filled 10 the brim, and | will name it
Drought Saver bank. | will draw
on il when | need TO do so. II
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 il il would not be wise for YOU
TO do likcwise.-C. d, Smcad, in Ma
! tiOnal StOCkmnn,