The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1914-03-26
Sliced Beet Tops
George E. Holmes, Foreman Ballard
Farm, Merino, Colorado.

las, fall sliced of beet tops this farm as
an experiment. and the results have been very satsiac-
tory.
Before harvest commenced scraped out pit sllo,
oxox4H feet deep center slopng to surface at each
end on about IS cent grade SO there would be no
difficulty in hauling silage out
into this hauled 70 OF beet tops which were
much lighter than the crop of tops through hav
ing been hailed and also attacked by leaf spot and part
Of field defoatcd by web The tops were hauled
this pit every day right from the topping knife this
is very important for if left the field for few days
after topping the quality of slagc is very much inferior
Those tops spread from the wagon evenly the
slo the and wagon going the mass acting as
packer We have figured that saving can be made
in filling the silo by using manure spreade By taking
tic bcater off they be unoaded much more evenly
and eliminate the forking off, and have double
track spreadcrs. it gives much packing surface
than the wagon does
As this pile is started fermentation begins and
continues until the whole is cured making conf
pact of feed that be reached at any time and
is very dgestibe and very much liked by both cattle and
sheep, much that stock will leave good, green tops
for the sliced When properly cured there is no
tendency securing stock, such have at tunes
by feeding fresh, green tops
Not having scale the farm, were unable o
get actual figures of tops ill., and slage out but by weigh
ing few loads of sage at different times, can give an
approximate estimate of sagc eaten and from this lew
figures on the experiment.
Seventy sliced and I4o steers averaging
about pounds put feed. They were fed 81
days. eating As pounds per day, which makes total on
si!agc of 81 tons per acre.
The of filling silo $40 per and the
value of the which as stated were very light would
he about S. per feeders value o acre into
silo would represent cost of ST. 10 per ton OF s1lage
The 142 finishing on other feeds, as we
had many i'll the yards for the OF age, but
believe that of sliced tops with alfalfa will fat
steer and make it fit for the block.
~,
weeks until has gone through the fermentation
iod. before feeding commences As with all sllos At is
very necessary that the tops be thoroughly packed or
:ramped in that all air excluded and as COM
petcd the top should also be sealed The general system
Of sealing is to with straw, then earth We
used straw and no earth and had while insignificant,
SpoilaSe over surface
Next intend to use third cutting alfalfa and
lay well the edges of the pile, believe it
viii lie close enough to exclude air and we will get our
maximum of silage out and down and feed the
the operation in this way eliminating all chance OF
getting earth mixed with the siage.
This slag where used for dairy purposes, be used
20 good advantage until midsummer
Kclncr German authority on feed and feed values,
says frozen beets be utilized to good advantage
,y cutting them up with shovel and silong them with
tops in this here is opportunity to get rid
ot the frozen beets turned down at the Sugar Company
dumps, and still make good use of them
Anotfer advantage gained is that by utilizing straw
and farm in feed yards, large amount OF good
is made while running herd of cattle over heds
and the field is ramped into such condition that I'M
fits it to grow crop the following season
Without actual figures this experiment believe
this system of handling tops is of much Importance to
beet growers who by present spshod methods, do not
get the minimum feeding value from them and are
facing lower price for beets stands us in hand to
adop methods whereby get the nlaSi.:'um value
from the by-products.
w.,ld venture say here that if c.C i,ns of 81
!rd beet tops had been under feet of snow. by Long
mont feeders pens in January, he would have thought it
a vertable geld mine