The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1909-05-21
FACTS ABOUT 4
ALFALFA MILLS
PLANT NOT GROUND. 0Ov ~
oUcGo ~ ssaGoosso. STAT.
iato on CUTTING.
NOW TO INSURE NPPlY
YWGA6Tv.YoN MILL CALLS FOR
eAop o. At LEAST zySoe
ACRES.
(By william l. Noaroe.)

(By william L Aoaroe)
There II such widespread interest
throughout the West In the milling Of
alfalfa and % little definite informa.
tion coacesning the different methods
and cost Of milling. the cost Of mills.
and markets for the finished products
that brief outline Of these subjects
seems appropriate. Alfalfa cannot b
ground, - the term 10 understood. bss'
must b reduced by shredding. beat
ing or cutting. Shredding il the least
satisfactory and least used method.
The product ID too fibrous and stringy
and contains . large percentage OF
lint. Beating and cutting or granulat-
ing are the most used and most salts
factory methods. The cutting or
graduating method can be built in
farm units. but the beaten method can
not because Of the weight OF machin.
cry and the high power required In
operation.
A commercial mill OF twenty tons
daily capacity. daytime run. is gener-
ally the most economical to operate
per ton Of output and will usually ham
die all the alfalfa grown tributary to
1t. A mill should be SO located that
an ample supply OF loose alfalfa. de-
livered to the mill on farm wagons di.
rect from the stack. will be assured.
II hay has to be shipped to the mill it
would have to be baled-the baling.
freight and extra handling adding from
$500 to $3.50 to the cost Of each ton.
q handicap almost impossible to Off
set. Before q mill is located. con-
tracts between the mill owners and
alfalfa growers should be executed for
the growth of sufficient acreage to as
sure the desired tonnage. These con-
tracts usually stipulate a fixed price
for the alfalfa tor a definite number
Of years. Such contracts are neces-
sary to protect both parties. A mill
Of twenty tons capacity should have
contracts covering at least $500 acres
for q continuous daylight run, and
5000 acres for day and night run.
The cost Of commercial milling de-
Ponds on the method used. rate of
wages and cost of power. The ton
cost Of the product in wages is from
80 cents to 81 II not sacked, and 81 to
" II sacked. The cost Of power is
from Is cents to 81 a ton on the basis
OF IS . ton for coal. With the right
equipment of machinery, average
wages OF $500 a day. and coal $3.50 a
ton, the cost Of milling ton of pro-
duct is close to $1.25 sacked. With
higher priced labor and fuel, and wrong
equipment, the cost may be doubled
or even trebled. The product ia gen.
orally sacked for shipment and sold
in bulk locally. The cost Of sacks is
$1.50 to $1.75 ton. A fair price for
the best quality alfalfa, delivered loose
at the mill in eastern Colorado, is 81
= ton. Shrinkage should not exceed
81 per cent, making the net cost Of
alfalfa $7.25 ton. Assuming good
Management, cost of milling, SIPS;
sacks, $1.75. and alfalfa $7.25: the en-
tire cost to the mill of a ton of pro-
duct Is $1O.25.
The selling price I. o. b. cars at
eastern Colorado points for properly
milled products from good quality al.
falfa is around $14 ton on quantity
contracts and SIS in single car lots.
The demand for the product comes
from everywhere-the West, Middle
West or corn belt; the East and South.
There are instances where local feeders
take the entire output. What does I
twenty tons daily amount to
in an active feeding commun.
ity? The cost of mill of
twenty tons daily capacity for milling
alfalfa alone is from $4,000 to $685.
900, according to locality and details
all complete and ready to run. Grain
milling equipment would involve addi-
tional cost. A commercial mill Of
twenty tons daily capacity requires
fifty to two hundred horsepower, de-
pending on method and equipment.
The cutting or graduating method
because Of light weight of machinery
and low power requirements can be
built in sizes and capacities adapted to
farm and feed lot When SO built the
machines are adjusted to make a
coarser product than the commercial
mills, giving corresponding increase
Of capacity in proportion to power.
These machines can be arranged for
mounting on wheels II desired. and
then can be operated in the field and
moved and run with a traction engine
like thresher separator. These ma
chimes Of ten tons a day capacity re-
quire ten horsepower and cost $500:
Of twenty tons daily capacity require
fifteen horsepower and cost $4,000. The
cost Of operation is from so cents to
81 a ton Of product not sacked.
spr-y for Plant Lice.
II any Of the orchard plant lice
have been allowed to hatch upon the
trees II ia imn0rfanf that fhov should