The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1916-11-03
LIVE STOCK ON RECLAMATION PROJECTS


Prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture.)
II is becoming generally understood
that live stock industries must be es
tablished on northern reclamation
projects if the best agricultural deyel
oDmpnt on these areas is to be brought
about. In such development, it Is
recognized. irrigated pastures must
play an important part. One of the
chief advantages of the summer pas.
turing of live stock on irrigation pro.
iects is that during that period labor
is especially scarce and costly on the
reclaimed areas. The proper manage
ment of irrigated pastures is outlined
in a circular recently issued by the bu.
reau of plant industry of the United
States department of agriculture.
The information in the circular is
based on experiments conducted dur,
Ing several years by federal and state
agencies at the Huntley MOnt.),
Scottsbluff (Neb.), and Belle Fourche
Is. d. field stations. and at the Good
ing (Idaho) experiment station, by
the University of Idaho; and on OBJ.
~servations made during the past four
years on II northern reclamation prO.
iectS.
There is reason to believe that,
while the carrying capacity and meth
DDS followed vary on different farms
under observation, with good manage
nent all acre of pasture will support
two COWS or their equivalent in other
i've stock from four to six months
ZACH year, depending on the location
If the project. 1t also appears that
ln0,r favorable local conditions and
,roper care, the stO%ck-Carrying ca
)acity of these pastures could be in
:reased somewhat from year to year.
Profitable Pastures.
Farmers in the Salt Lake valley of
Ctah have found That irrigated pas
ures are profitable on land which Is
alued ut 5000 an acre. A dairy farm.
r in the Snake River valley Of Idaho
eports that his irrigated pasture car
les three COWS per acre.
The value Of such pasturage can be
stated in terms Of hay replacement.
'wo cows will consume approximately
ton of alfalfa hay each month. If
his hay is valued at SIS a ton, the hay
%eplacement value Of an ae.e Of TIA
,ated pasture will be S. a month The
ength of the pasture season varies
rom four to six months, depending on
the climatic conditions on the differ
ent projects. Hence the hay-replace-
ment value of an acre of good pasture
can be estimated at from $40 to $50
4 year. These hay-replacement values
would, of course, be greater when the
price Of hay exceeded S. a ton. In
connection with this, it is important
to consider the fact that the use of
pastures requires much less labor than
the feeding of hay, and that good pas
ture is at least equal to, If not bet
ter than, hay as feed for cows. Such
returns as these fully justify the use
Of some of the best land on the farm
Tor irrigated pasture.
Not all farmers who have tried irri.
gated pastures have obtained satisfac.
tory results, but in most cases the
failures have been due to causes which
might have been prevented. One com
mon error is the belief that the pas,
ture should occupy that part of the
farm which does not produce satisfac
tory yields of farm crops. Many have
attempted to produce pasture on shall
low soil or land that is rocky and I'm
suited for %pasturage. Careless prepa
ration Of soil and poor seed are als(
common causes of failure. Low carry
ing capacity frequently is due to thu
fact that only grasses are used, where
as it is desirable to include one or twt
clovers. Overstocking, PARTICULAR,
during the first year, grazing when tn,
SOIL IS too wet, and inadequate or i'm
proper irrigation r other explana
tons Of lack of success.
Preparing Seeded.
The circular devotes considerable at
tention to selection of locations TO
pastures, preparation of the land, tn
Importance of using fertile and orc
ductive soil, making provision for prov
er irrigation and proper preparation,
OF seeded. Under the subject of tn
seeded, the author writes:
The seedbed should be CAREFUL
prepared and made firm and smooth
so that a satisfactory stand can b
secured. 1t is ordinarily better to pre-
vide plenty of moisture in the soil bt
fore seeding time than to seed i
a dry soil and irrigate immediatel
afterwards. This is true PARTICULAR
OF heavy soil, on which a tough crus
IS likely to form after Irrigation an
interfere with the emergence of til
young plants. Ga light soils, how
ever, where the upper three or fol
ihches dries out very rapidly, it fir
quently is necessary to seed in drv So
ana to irrigate Immediately after see
Ing In such instances the use of tt
~corrugation method of irrigation du
ing the first year is particularly d
slrable' and the land should be Or
pared accOrdingly."