Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-10-13
Supplementing Pastures and Hay.

Supplementing Pastures and Hay.
bulletin of Maine Department of Agricultural
In seasons when the hay crop, which
is the great crop of the state OF Maine,
is cut short, the Importance of having
reserve supplies in the line of supple
mental forage crops, is strongly empha-
sized Hay is the sll-important fodder
in wintering nearly all our stock, and
any appearance of shortage is viewed by
the farmer with apprehension. II grass
has wintered well and looks promising,
a drought sometimes changes the entire
condition. and then il is too late To plant
additional crops. The thoughtful farm
or always plans his crops with the idea
in view of raising something which will
lessen the amount of hay required for
his stock. 1t is always wise to an
ticipate unfavorable conditions and be
prepared to meet them. Then, too, our
pastures have been growing poorer, and
their uncertainty and irregularity make
necessary some provisions for supple
menting them. The feeding of soiling
crops to help out the short pastures,
besides adding to the hay crop incident
ally produces improvement of the past
ures themselves; as by the use Of these
crops the pastures will carry more cattle
which will tend to check the wild
| growth and enrich the soil.
The question of what crop or crops he
shall use to supplement his hay crop and
his pasture is one which each individual
farmer must study out for himself. 1t
depends upon his conditions and Cir
cumstances. But every farmer should
see that some forage crop is put in at
the proper time. Some of the soiling
crops which have proved useful for this
section are corn, clover, millet, oats and
peas and barley
Corn fodder is generally considered to
be one of the best substitutes for hay.
There is no plant, everything taken into
account, which is quite equal to this.
1t should be used to as large an extent
as possible on all dairy farms, both for
green forage and as a silage crop. Corn
is deep rooted plant and can stand
drouth better than many other plants.
Ii is suited for growth on nearly all
soils. When sweet corn is planted for
the market, the fodder and small ears
will be available as forage. Corn is the
best of all crops for silage. For the
silo varieties should be selected, for the
various sections, that will practically
mature, as silage from mature corn is
the most profitable. The ease with
which corn silage is digested, as COM
pared with dry fodder, as we'll as its
palstability, increase its value. 1t has
seemed for long time as though the
silo was almost indispensable, and yet
there are some practical, successful
| farmers who are without a silo. Those
who have silOs will be able to lengthen
out the hay crop without large expense,
with the corn plant, and those who have
not siloS can also make use of this crop.
Many of our farmers appreciate the
| fact that the clovers are among the most
valuable of forage crops. In some sec
tiOns farmers are not meeting with de-
cided success in raising this valuable
class of crops, but where the right con-
ditions are provided clover can be made
| to grow in Maine successfully. The
clovers are capable of taking nitrogen
from the air and the cost of fertilizers
needed in their growth is low. They
are of especial value as stock feed on
account of their exceptional richness in
4 pIONclu. AlSOf Nho VI SAo'S4,
under right conditions, eDriches the soil
and the following crops are benefited.
| Glover may be used as n general utility
crop, to be fed green if needed, in the
absence of other green crops, and also
for hay. Glover will withstand the
effects of drOuth better than the COM
mon grasses.
Hungarian and the millets are quite
sure crops, aud when cut at the proper
time are very valuable forage crops, and
are well adapted for hay. Hungarian
makes a lighter, finer growth than the
| millets and is better for hay. 1t should
always be cut early. Japanese millets
for green forage are especially valuable.
Most farmers find the milletS more
valuable for green fodder than for hay.
Oats and peas are valuable for sum
mer feeding and for hay, when sown
early in the spring, and may also be
used for fall forage. On our own farm
we have for long time supplemented
our hay with oats and peas for dry fod-
/ der and corn for silage. These are
usually our supplementary feeds. Oat
hay, cut just as the oat is coming from
the milk stage and properly cured,
makes the best of feed for the dairy cow
and it is quite as desirable for young
colts. | have fed young stock for
large portion of the winter season on
oat hay and one ration of ensilage, with
few roots, and they made good growth.
We have found that in order to get the
best results with oat hay it should be
sown not later than the middle of May.
| Oats and peas when sown together give
n fairly heavy yield of valuable fodder.
\ Barley and peas are also used on some
of our farms. While oats are damaged
by heavy frost, barley will grow until
late in the fall aud it is therefore valu-
able for late sOiliug purposes. There is
sometimes difficulty in securing a salts
factory crop of barley, so that it is not
always profitable, but it is relished by
cows and is good forage crop, when
grown alone or with peas.
The use of summer silos is growing
more common. Silage has an advantage
over green soiling crops in cost of pro-
duction. II heavy yielding silage
crop, like corn, is allowed to reach its
maximum growth and mature, and is
grown with improved appliances, the
expense is somewhat less than in raising
soiling crops and the supply and quality
are more uniform. As the fermentation
is more rapid in summer it will be neces-
sary to reduce the surface area from
which the silsge is fed.
Roots are also valuable addition to
our stock foods, especially where the
farmer is without silo. Hon. George
Aitken, ex-Secretary of the Vermont
Board of Agriculture, whom addressing
the people of Maine, said that he found
that on his place he could raise roots as
cheaply and successfully as ensilage
was raised on other farms. 1t is evident
that the dairy cow during the long win
ter needs some kind of succulent food,
and roots are palatable and easily di-
gested, two factors which contribute
much to the value of food. Even
where ensilage is used dry cows and
young stock can be fed roots to advant-
age.
There seems TO be some value in roots
which the experiment stations do not
fully disclose. We are not questioning
the accuracy or the value of experiment
station Investigations; but roots possess
certain qualities which render them
worth more than their analysis would
indicate. As rule we regard it as
more expensive to raise them, in pro-
portion to their value, than ensilage
corn, but those farmers who have prac-
ticed raising roots and do large por-
tion of the work with machinery, hav-
ing the rows accurate and using one
! machine which will do both the wedding
H. ~ he iD,a n