The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-06-24
WINTER GREEN FEED.
The siIo Has Practically Solved the
Problem.

Farmers who have silos have prac-
tically solved the winter green feed
problem. However, comparatively
few farmers have silOs. and those who
are without them must look TO some
other source for succulent feeds dur
ing the cold months. Perhaps one
reason why so few farmers grow these
feeds is because they do not fully ap-
preciate their high feeding value.
Stock sugar beets are perhaps the
best crop that can be grown for winter
ggreen feed. They are comparatively
easy to grow. they yield heavily, near
ly all farm animals like them. They
are not difficult to keep. They are es-
pecially good dairy feed. and there is
no Objectionable flavor about them to
faint the milk as there is with turnips
and some other green vegetables.
Dairy cattle of all ages like sugar
beets, and will eat them with a relish
at all times
This fall our young calf got into
the garden and found some rows of
sugar beets which we had grown from
a new variety of seed One of the
large beets had been pulled out of the
ground and the calf found it, We were
surprised to see the calf pass by other
feed for the beet, but more surprised
to see that the young animal had be-
gun at one side of the large root and
eaten almost through it as a boy would
through an apple. This is fairly clear
indication that young cattle relish this
succulent feed, and it is very likely
that winter calves would do much
better if they were given a daily feed
of such green stuff So many calves
look pinched and hide-bound in win
ter when they have apparently all the
nutritious feed they will eat. The
trouble is that their feeds are too dry
and heavy so that easy digestion and
perfect assimilation do not take place
When the same calves are turned out
on green pasture they begin to grow
and look sleek within few weeks on
little or no other feed than green
grass, which is about 80 per cent
water, The reason is that the grass
is platable, juicy, light as a food and
a mild regulator of the bowels The
presence of large quantities of watery
vegetable juices aids the digestive
fluids in dissolving and carrying the
nutritive portions of the food to the
highest advantage. When sugar beets
or other green feeds are given to dairy
stock in winter when they are on a ra
finn Of DIV - i
would be much better both with calves
and mich cows. Heavy, rich feeds can
become of high value to the animals
only when they are so fed that they
become fully digested and assimilated
The natural digestive secretions are
not always able to perform all the dis
solving and carrying that is neces.
sary in the digestive organs. A liberal
mixture of green feeds will greatly
aid in the process. This is also sim,
ilarly true of all farm stock, especially
with pigs and poultry.
Every farmer who keeps dairy stock
or cattle of any kind should grow a
few acres of stock sugar beets each
year for winter feed, says the Journal
of Agriculture, and build a frost-proot
room for safely storing them. The
basement cellar under the barn is a
good place for keeping green feeds in
a fresh, crisp condition, but where
such room can not easily be made
an upper room can be used By max
ing the walls of this room tight, GOV.
ering the floor with straw or sawdust
and filling in sides and top with the
same material when the vegetables
are put in, they can easily be kept
from freezing If such a room is 10
Gated in the middle of the barn where
the walls are least exposed to outside
cold the danger of freezing will be
lessened
Green crops cannot be grown at this
season of the year yet one can plan
for them now by selecting and fertiliz
ing the field for their growth, pur
chasing seed and making other ar
rangements for a supply for next win
ter.