Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-05-26

alization of labor which always comes
at that season of the year l could not |
get the necessary bedding and was COM
PEELED to turn the cattle out of the barn
which is situated in one corner of four
acre lot. Thus I lost a great deal of /
manure
Last summer had built two silos 16
feet in diameter and 80 feet high One of
these was half filled in September with
corn which would have made 40 or 80
bushels to the acre run through a ma
chine and cut into half inch lengths. The
other was filled three-fourths full in Oc-
tober with sorghum, corn after oats, and
peavines and crab grass after oats. This
last silage was fed first. 1 commenced
feeding the steers on October Is with pea
vines and crab grass cut and hauled d. /
rect from the field into the barn without
whiting. l never saw animals eat any
thing more ravenously. Began feeding
cotton seed bulls and meal at the start
and alternated between hulls and meal
and ensilage and meal daily until the
ensilage gave out. The cattle were crazy
to get the ensilage and never wasted any
Of it, They would nose over the hullsf
and meal and root down in the troughs
so that from the very start there was
loss of bulls and meal which was rooted
out of the troughs. This Discrimination to
eat the huIls grew as the campaign pro-
crossed and the superiority OF silage
over cotton seed hulls grew upon me with
overpowering force. SO 1 early decided
that / would not buy any more hulls
now declare as the result of my own per-
sonaI experience in feeding that would
not haul cotton seed bulls five miles II |
they were given to me. 1t is very certain
that no man can afford to buy hulls at
anything like the prices they have sold
for this year and anyone who intends TO
,of.1 Of Cattl6t
economically should build silo. Thel
value Of ensilage as compared with hulls
can be estimated by the chemists, but
nv observation and experience, to say
nothing of my reading, all teach me that
ensilage can be as eheaply made ana Is
in every way so superior as a venice 70
mix with concentrates like cotton seeu
meal that anyone who has stock TO Ieeu
cannot afford to buy hulls at even "
per ton. ~.,,r,.
advocate the growing of sorghum Tor
ensilage. On rich land the yield of sor7
ghum is enormous, l would say not less
than ten tons per acre, and / have seen
what / thought was yield OF ~ lons
per acre. / believe that ensilage mace u
SORGHUM is fully as valuable in fattenlng
,,To,erties as ensilage made of corn with
The ears left on and yielding 10 or ~
bushels to the acre. The seed of the sor-
ghum seems to take the place OF the
grain of the corn.
NV cattle at all times had access u
nlentiful supply of pure water, ana l 81
wavs kept rock silt in large Jumps IN the
troughs 4ba
steers to ride a weakling and pecloeu
mat this was a manifestation OF Ma
lures way of having only the httest
survive. Thus it is important TO nave
the cattle as near a size as posslOle
when thew 60 into the bars. After
week or two the puny, timid weakilhss
must be given a fair show at the 1000
by dividing the herd, putting the strong
greedy animals to gether and the others
lin separate pen.
The figures above show dencll OF
loss of s194996, which is attributable
to the purchase of the cattle when they
were very high and their sale when
thew were very low. AS an onset
have the manure, which owing to the
reasons have mentioned is only nan
as much in quantity as / should nave.
/ made 500 loads of manure hauled out
in a manure spreader which has a oeo
In inches deep, 40 inches wide, and 10
feet long. This is light four-horse
load and is supposed to be sixty-hve
bushels In addition have four acres
of land which was cowpenned for three
months and which ought to be very
rich. will know just how rich when
the crop comes reasonable estimate
of the value of the manure would be
$1,000.
Don't feed cattle at all unless you
build a silo or can get hulls at less than
SIS per ton and have only short dis
lance to, haul them.
Don't be alarmed at the cost of
silo NV two which togehtre Will holu
$50 tons only cost all told $500. Eacn
one can figure for himself, but cal
lculate with ordinary lumber put up in
substantial way the cost of a similar
silo need not exceed 5000 There is no
earthly doubt that if the ensilage is
we'll packed around the edges of the
silo dalrsug the process of filling and the
whole surface we'll trodden and left
level it will keep nicely. There is no
need of a roof at all in this climate save
for the protection of the laborers VINO
get out the ensilage. / did not use any
| roof on mine because wanted to test
This very point, and bought waterproof
coats for the use of the laborers In bad
weather.
Don't buy cattle TO feed unless you
know what kind of cattle will sell best
the beef type.
Don't buy cattle to feed weighing less
l than $50 pounds. This Is the limit GOWN
ward; 1000 pounds is the proper mimi
mum. There is more ready sale and
more profit in steers weighing 100 to-
300 pounds when fattened.
Don't try to feed ordinary scrub cattle
for they will not take on flesh or sell as
well as the blooded grades. They will
make as much manure and as good ma
nure, but the selling at profit is true
test which will in the end govern this
/ business.
| Don't feed damaged cotton seed meal,
for while 1t is perhaps as good for fer
tilizing it will not show the same re-
suits In feeding as good bright meal.
Don't fail to clean out the troughs with
wooden paddle just before feeding each
time. This is important to save feed
and keep the cattle with an appetite.
Don't make the mistake of having your
troughs too shallow and be sure to ar
range so that you can elevate them as
the manure rises. My troughs are be-
tween the posts which support the roof
and I use iron pins ive-eighths of an
inch in diameter to support the troughs.
NV troughs are IA inches deep and they
are too shallow. Deep troughs are not
essential in feeding ensilage. 1t is highly
a.--n.