The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-09-15
FORAGE PROBLEM

ment station.
The recent rains over the larger
portion of the state have so improved
the prospects for corn that many
| fields which did not promise a crop
one-half to twothirds of a crop, and
many fields which we're greatly in.
jured will produce good forage, al
| though the corn on these fields will
be small and difficult to husk. The
question Of forage will be the great
| problem for the farmer in nearly all
| portions Of the state. The farmer
who has good acreage Of alfalfa will
not be as seriously hurt as the man
| who has no alfalfa, but hay is bound
| to be high priced, and hay OF mar
| ketablc quality Is now selling at I'M
precedented prices. With more than
seven million acres of corn growing
in Nebraska, almost all II which will
make forage, every farmer should pro.
vide himself with corn binder and
| arrange to cut as much forage as he
will need for his winter use. The
| corn should be harvested while the
| stalks are still green or when they
first begin to fire at the bottom, unless
the crop has largely recovered from
the effect of the drought and is now
making rapid growth. Every farmer
who has a herd of twenty or more
head of cattle, especially if they are
dairy COWS, should seriously consider
the question of the erection Of a silo,
and if he decides to order a silo he
| should order without delay and en-
deavor to begin the erection of the
| silo within the next two weeks. The
silo should he finished and ready for
use by the first OF September, and
the cutter and power should be ar
ranged for so that no disappointment
| will be experienced in filling the silo.
It will be safe to figure that three
tons of silage, or possibly a little less
than three tons Of sIlage. Is equal to
ton of the best hay. Corn can prob
ably be put into the silo for from So
70 $3.50 per ten, including the cost of
growing the corn. In nearly all Sec
tons Of the state the price Of market
ton. Another great advantage in the
silo will be the fact that plenty of
forage will be available for winter
use, whereas, without the silo, or at
least without corn fodder cut and
properly cared for, the forage on the
farm would be insufficient for the win.
ter's use. Every dairyman and most
| 70 Nf hp cto oh ci1
regardless of the scarcity Of feed, be-
cause it is more economical than feed
ing entirely dry food during the win
ter season. Eastern states where
land has become high priced have
been building silos for many years,
and the progressive farmer generally
agrees that he cannot make profit on
live stock without the use of silage
for winter feeding. In the leading
dairy districts the use Of silage for
summer feeding has become almost
equally as important The dairyman
feels that he cannot afford to run the
risk of drought and short pastures,
even in an average season, and with
seasons like the present summer the
man with a silo full of feed for sum-
mer use has had a very great advan-
tage over those depending wholly up
on pasture or on forage crops. 1t is
to be hoped that Nebraska farmers
generally will study this question thor
oughly and will take this next step
forward in agricultural practice as a
method of increasing their profits on
| the land