Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1914-05-23
PUMPKINS AS FEED CROP FOR
LIVE STOCK.
They Will Grow Almost in Any Place
Where the Soil is Good.

The pumpkin is one of the most
profitable crops to grow, when ex-
pense of producing the crop and its
feeding advantages with most farm
animals are considered. Years ago
the pumpkin was made part of the
corn crop in the eastern States, being
planted with it, as it often is yet, and
the feeding value was estimated ds
worth consideration. In recent years
there has not been much attention
given to growing the pumpkin in the
western corn-belt country. This is
partly due to the more scientific meth;
DDS adopted in corn cultivation, the
changed system and conditions of
both cultivation and harvesting of the
crop.
The value of the pumpkin crop as
fed has not changed. 1t is yet of
recognized worth by those who have
raised and fed pumpkins to both fat
stock and young, growing animals.
But to grow the field crop of pump
kins to greatest advantage demands
separate piece of ground the pump
kin grows rapidly, and does not require
or permit of much cultivation. When
the plants are small they require care
full attention, but as soon as they
commence to vine the work of cult
walton is at an end They shade the
ground quickly, and with reasonable
moisture will produce good yield.
New land, breaking even, has been
known to produce pumpkins of the
best size and quality when good grow
ing conditions prevailed throughout
the season. Large crops of pumpkins
have been grown on breaking and
back-settng years ago, and practically
all over the Missouri Valley country
wherever planted, and without any ex
pense except planting the seed. The
idea of demand for root depth in
we'll prepared seed bed for the pump
kin is without foundation when ap
piled to the soil of the prairie coun-
try of the west and northwest The
pumpkin will grow almost any place
in god soil where it gets a fair start.
and it requires a pretty vigorous quail
ity of weed to get ahead OF it or crowd
it out
The pumpkin is objected to by some
persons, claiming that the seed is in
20 cta-E a,,I tharafAr.
blesome to feed Pumpkins have been
fed to hogs, cattle and sheep by being
hauled out on clean grass pastures
and thrown out for the stock to feed
on at will. and no bad results follow
ed where the animals had been grad
ually introduced to the pumpkin diet
The usual season of feeding is as soon
in the early autumn as the pumpkins
commence ripening, and regular feed
may be given once day until the sup
ply is exhausted Some eastern farm
ers store the pumkin crop in the base
ment of their bank barns, thus pro-
tecting them from freezing, and feed
them far into the winter.
The feeding value has not been test
ed in the experience of the old-timc
farmer feeder more than the general
thrift their use has been observed to
induce with all kinds'of stock Where
pumpkins are used they are fed in
conjunction with other feed to fatten-
ing animals or on pasture to the cattle
and general stock of the farm, the OBJ
ject being mainly to get cheap, easily
produced crop of succulent character
to feed with corn during the late
autumn and early winter seasons.
The pumpkins supplies this satisfac-
torly, and might be prohtably utilized
in the same way with the small farm
err of the corn-belt district.
In planting the pumpkin the best
feeding and keeping varieties should
be selected Pumpkin raisers practice
the clipping of the tips of the vines
when they have gotten a sufficient
growth This makes them produce
better and more pumpkins, A well
prepared piece of ground, carefully
and systematically planted to pump
kins and cultivated carefully will pro-
duce a paying crop when used as feed
for the general stock of the farm, 1t
is safe to estimate the pumpkin crop
saving of the grain and fodder feed
through the autumn season, an econ
omy that is worth observing.-Twen-
18th Ca,tury Farmer