The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-07-14
FORAGE CROPS.
Experience In Nebraska With An
nuaI Pastures and Selling Crops.


Where land is valuable and it is nee
essary to grow a maximum crop upon
q given area ANIMALS are more prOtlta-
BILE as forage crops than perennials, or
when it is desired to produce a crop at
a given season of the year, such as
early or late pasture of rye, a success
sion of succulent forage for dairy cat
tie or a catch crop to utilize the land
ANNALS is invariably used.
ANIMALS are plants which reach their
| maturity during the season that they
are planted and then die. Common ex-
| amples of this group are the grains,
corn, sorghum, millet, cowpea, soy
bean and rape. Some plants, which
are normally ANNALS, are soWn in the
autumn and after making a growth of
foliage that season lie more or less dor
mant during the winter and resume
growth the following spring, reaching
maturity in the early summer. This
is true of rye, some varieties of wheat
and some of the grasses.
An important class of pastures, espe-
cially where land is relatively valuable
and a more intensive system of agri-
culture is employed, is that of tempo
rary or annual pastures. Temporary
pastures are used for two purposes:
% To extend the pasture season over
a greater portion Of the year than can
be done with ordinary permanent pas
ture. For this purpose wheat or rye
gives early and late pasture, and GER
tain summer ANNALS can be used to
supplement the permanent pastures
during the dry summer season, which
usually occurs in July or August.
e. By successive sowing of the proper
plants succulent feed may be provided
through the season so as to yield
maximum crop from each area. This
is particularly applicable to dairy dis
tricts. 1t is often convenient and
economical in growing succession or
succulent crops to cut the green feed
and supply the stock either in the per-
manent pasture or in the stalls or
yards, as in the soiling system.
Early and late green feed may be
produced by pasture of rye. A prop
er sowing of oats or rye may then fur
niSh soiling in connection with grass
pasture. If there is sufficient area of
pasture, this may furnish all the feed
necessary during May and June, but
such pasture usually shows a marked
falling off about the LIST of July, as is
indicated by the shrinkage in the milk
flow. On a small scale almost every
farmer clItS in early summer green
grain, especially oats or rye, to feed
to hogs or cattle. Later in the sum-
mer corn is cut and fed in the same
manner, experimenting the pastures,
which usually develop a shortage in
August.
In dairy farming it may be advan-
tageous to adopt soiling as a definite
system in order to obtain maximum
yield of succulent forage from a small
area. For this purpose it is best to
plan a series of crops which will form
a succession through the growing sea-
son. Besides the small grains and corn
mentioned there are several other
plants that can be used for soiling,
particularly sorghum, Kaffir corn, cow
peas, soy beans and rape The latter
is not so well adapted to milk COWS. as
there is danger of tainting the milk.
Alfalfa and clover can be used, but in
Nebraska they have no special adapta-
ton for this purpose. Rape is an eX-
cellent soiling crop for hogs, sheep or
growing cattle during the autumn.