The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-12-22
FORAGE CROPS FOR WESTERN
FARMERS
By l.. A. Merrill, director extension
division Utah Agricultural college,

BY l.. A. Merrill, director extension
division Utah Agricultural college
In discussing the subject of forage
crops, / propose doing it in the wild
est sense, including any food suitable
for horses, cattle, sheep or swine
The subject will include particularly
pasture grasses, soiling and fodder
crops, and it is my purpose to par.
ticularly emphasize the Importance OF
some crops with which our west.
ern farmers are not familiar. We
shall necessarily have to limit our.
selves to discussion of those crops
that have been tested at our expert.
ment stations and by successful farm
ers and found to be of practical val
ue, since in the grass family alone
there are more than $500 species.
AS l read the history of agricul-
ture of this and other nations, l am
impressed with the fact that the per-
manent prosperity of any country is
dependent very largely upon the en-
phasis placed upon pastures and hay
crops. Pastures feed mankind; they
are the bed-ro k of civilization. There
is always something alluring in an
agriculture based specially on per-
manent things like meadow and pas
lures, that do not let fields wash
and erode; that maintain and build
fertility! that make possible the
higher types of agriculture based on
keeping animals, or making milk for
babes, wool for soft garments or
horses for the use of man.
Although we live in a comparative
ly new section of country, our agri-
culture in these mountain valleys is
already advanced far enough to give
a number of examples showing the
difference between system of farm
ing that includes pastures and grass
es, and system that involves the
production of sugar beets, potatoes,
grain or fruit crops only. In the
growing of these crops we are con-
tinually taking from the soil those
elements of fertility that are abso-
lutely essential for the growth of
plants, and without which the soil
is worthless. In the growing of
grasses for pasturage or for hay when
fed upon the farm, We return to the
soil those elements of fertility and
the supply is at least maintained, and
by wise system of husbandry, even
increased year by year.
In this western country where our
farmers have turned their attention
to the production of grasses and for
age crops, they have been scarcely
able to place limit on the number
of live stock they are able to main
tain, and amount of live stock pro-
ducts they are able to produce.
Our irrigated lands are particular
ly adapted to grass or forage crop
production, because of the abundance
of those plant foods necessary for
their growth, particularly lime, pot
ash and phosphates, and because of
the assurance of supplying moisture
just at the time needed. 1t is en-
couraging to the western farmer to
realize that with the adoption of a
proper system of cropping, one acre
here can be made to do the work
of three or four acres in the middle
west, or even fifteen or twenty acres
in the southwest. l have seen three
cows pasture on single acre of up
land pasture in Utah from May until
and in the east have OBJ
served that it is necessary to have
from three to four acres to pasture
one COW for the same length of time.
Our pastures need never become dry
or parched, but under a proper sys-
tenn can be kept constantly green and
succulent.
Land for the Pasture-It is mis-
taken notion to suppose that the
poorest part of the farm should be
given over to pastures. Often times
the rocky hill side is used for this |
purpose, and we too frequently fail
10 take into account the fact that |
he pasture can be made the most |
important part of the farm. For
his reason the best and most con-
venient part of the farm will in a
good farm practice, be selected for
his purpose. The land should be
we'll drained. If not, we must see
hat 1t is tiled, or open bitches pro-
1ided so that stagnant water may be
lrawn away. We should appreciate
he fact that in preparing the land
or the pasture grasses We are pre-
'aring it for number of years. 1t
8 important, therefore, that consider
bile attention be paid to proper lev
ling SO that there may be no diff
ulties in the way of irrigation. Then
90, the land should be prepared
before we expect to do the
eeding. The soil must settle togeth-
u SO that the proper functions of the II