The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-10
FARMERS WHO BUY,
THOSE WHO DON'T.
1t Pays to Raise Hay for Home
Consumption-Some Facts
and Figures.
ny j. NJ. BELL.

ny j. VI. BELL.
The prevailing high prices of hay
and grain. in fact for all kinds OF
feed for beasts. must necessarily prove
10 be sharp reminders to those farm
ers who are so unfortunate az to
nave; to put their hands down in their
pockets. as the saying is, and pay out
money FOR horse and mule feed.
There lis an old saying among farm
ers to the effect that bought feed
goes fast which means. that when
farmer has TO 20 to his more fortunate
ncishbor TO buy feed gets 1t home and
commences to use I. that the teams
seem 10 eat double the quantity ,lat
they would consume if the feed had
been raised at home. There is more
truth than fiction in this. In tbs first
place. before tho farmer really makes
UP his mind TO tgivc his hard earned
money for h!s ueighboI's forage OF
grain, he nas most probably conomized
With tn clittle that he has left in his
own barn, until the appetites OF his
horses and mules have been whetted
to the highest pitch, at the same time
the light rations which they have been
getting, have begun 10 tell on their
appearance, and work, for animals
that do regular farm labor soon go
back when their owners Gu. their
iutions down.
Now comes the wagonload OF hay
from The ncighbor's barn, this al
present prices Viii cost least s25
per ton, and hungry work horse or
mulo Will cat fifteen POUNDS OF il per
oiem without the least tear OF his be-
ing Gorseu. Ii this hay has TO be
hauled any distance. 1t cost the buyer
about $3.50 per ton. Naturally, the
tcamste:s, who have had to feed
iiSht" on this farm, Will now wake up
by giving their charges all of the
bong mt nay that they viii eat, so the
expensive forage will soon disappear,
and more Will nave TO be bought, at
the game high price
Now we come 10 the question of
bought corn. The writer understands
that IN many sections OF the State,
king Corn at the present time is
worth - per barrel, or 80 cents per
bushel. ano that al the barn door.
Il know OF farmers who are getting
mere). a work horse or mule will
manage 10 eat 1T least So worth OF
tins bought corn every month. nor
Will he be roundered or suffer any
injury whatever.
From the above figures il can DC
readily seen that TIE farmers who are
buring feed in the yea. 1872 will oe
up against il. have given the most
conservative estimates regarding the
great expense attachou 10 the purchas-
lnS % feed even from your neigh
bors. When it comes TO getting your
supplies OF grain and hay from the
city markets, tho expense must nat
urally be heavier. as you have TO take
IN the important items of freight from
the city to your railway station OF
wharf, and them you have 10 hau! the
stun 10 Your farm over roads that, at
this season, arc not Of the turnpike
class
The backbone OF Virginia winter
is practically broken. and in few
days il will be possible TO put in for
age crops, which will help to keep
down the feed bill OF those VINO are
now 50 unlucky as 10 have to buy,
but this viii not mean a supply o;
grain, for that must be bought by
those who do not have it in their
barns until they thrcsh out their GA,
crops. and that means somewhere
about the first OF July. So the farm
ers who have not Plentiful supply of
grain on hand will have to buy for
several months set
early Forage Crops.
Cur leading Southern agricultural
journal. The Southern Planter, in its
February number. gives some good
advice to Its readers anent the pues-
iion OF putting in forage crops which
Will mature in the early summer sea-
SON For instance, here arc Canada
field peas. sown with oats. This mix
ture. according to tho Planter. will
give tho farmer good horse and mule
forage. oats alone. sown this month
or carly In March. and cut when the
grain is in the doughy state, VIII make
pretty fair hay. y patch OF either of
these crops will go a long ways TO
hela the farmer out in his difficulty.
X IL possible that feed Will be even
higher than it Is at present. but the
sowing of forage crops ny our Virginia
farmers, and that as soon as they can
get them in the ground. will at least
help those wh0.aro out OF hay to cur
tail the heavy expense OF feeding the
work teams, as stuff raised on the
farm is never so high in price-that is,
10 the consumer-as that which one
has to buy. Our Virginia lands are
fertile. and in every portion of the
State flne hay can be raised. Naturally
there arc some sections better adapted
10 the raising OF heavy crops of. it
than others. but there is probably not
81 county in the old Commonwealth
where more ha" could not be raised
than there now is. and surely this year
should prove ono ~ warn!nr to our
fnrntrs. who viii have 10 bny what
they could in all probability raise at