The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-09-27
CONSERVE farm
Breeding STOCK
EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE BY
DIVISIONS OF STATES
FOOD COMMITTEE.
SAVE The STRAW FOR FORAGE
APPEAL TO FARMERS TO KEEP
LIVESTOCK AND NOT BURN
THE STRAW.

divisions of the Minnesota Committee
of Food Production and Conservation
are making heroic efforts to meet the
grave live stock situation in Mime
sofa and the northwest.
Northwestern Minnesota, North Da-
kOta and Montana are without rough
age for the feeding of live stock, and
as a result the farmers are being
forced to sell their animals. This
means not only immediate loss to
these farmers, but d serious and long
continued setback to the live stock
industry OF the northwest, on which
successful permanent agriculture in
large measure depends. 1t means also
the possibility OF an acute meat short
age Herbert c. Hoover, the nations
food administrator, says the world
faces an actual meat famine.
The state food committee, therefore,
. believes that it is of the greatest I'M
portance that the live stock OF this
years drOuth regions in the northwest
shall not be sacrificed on the block.
It is to prevent such sacrifice, except
when absolutely necessary, that they
are adopting extraordinary measures.
Southern Minnesota Can Help.
The committee sees an opportunity
TO meet the situation in part IN the
bountiful harvest. which southern and
western Minnesota are reaping.
Southern Minnesota can help to save
the live stock OF the northwest III two
ways:
BY saving straw and hay to be sold
to the farmers OF the drOuth-stricken
regions. With timothy at $40 ton
as it Will be in such regions this fall
and winteT-Oat straw will be worth
$40 a ton for feed and wheat straw
$3.50 a ton. Such roughage shipped
to northwestern Minnesota, North Da-
kota and Montana, will enable the
farmers there, say the members of the
committee, in part at least to save
their breeding stock, their COWS and
heifers.
By saving corn slower, by putting
up every ounce of siiage possible. and
by planting fall rye for pasture-all
this in order to provide an extra sup
ply of feedNto take care Of COWS and
heifers sent to the markets by the
farmers in the dTouth regions and
bought by the farmers of southern Min
nesota to be fed through the winter
Members Of the committee believe
that there will be q large demand for
such animals throughout the north
west next season at advanced prices,
and if the war ends there will be an
extraordinary demand for such ami
mails from Europe Already Europe is
contracting for breeding stock to be
delivered when the war is done,
The railroads are being urged to
~.4nake special rates in order to help
meet this serious situation and will
doubtless comply.
Burning of Straw Crime"
To meet the desperate situation the
live stock, crops and markets men Of
the state food committee are appeal
ing to farmers throughout the state to
save every particle Of straw. They
say that to burn straw is to burn food
and money, when others not favored
with such supplies are eager and will
ing to buy it. One prominent farmer
of southern Minnesota said to mem
bers of the committee that to burn
straw this year was a crime; that on
his own farm he was saving every
Wisp of straw for forage. Feed spe-
ciaIists at University Farm say that
oats straw fed with silage this year
will be worth all of SIS ton, and that
wheat straw fed with silage will be
worth as much as SO ton.
Farmers Urged to Keep Live Stock
The state food committee also APP
.~peals directly to the farmers in the
drouth regions to make extraordinary
efforts to keep their cows and heifers
and not to sell unless absolutely COM
PEELED to. This appeal is based on
both patriotic and economic grounds,
because the country needs such live
stock, and because they will be worth
more next spring than they are today.
To aid farmers in northwest Minne-
sofa in keeping their live stock, the
state food committee suggests:
The cutting of all the hay possible.
The saving of corn fodder, stover
and straw.
The use Oh Iall pastures
The feeding of root crops.
The purchase of hay and straw from
: other parts of the state.
The utmost care to avoid waste in
feeding.
Even the borrowing of money with
which to buy feed, if necessary
Pressure is being brought to bear
! on bankers, merchants, and indeed all
commercial interests with the rail-
roads, to assist the farmers in solving
the problem of bringing live stock ana
forage together for the saving OF
breeding stock, that the live STOCK in
: dustry of the northwest may not SUIT
tsfer catastrophe and that the people
rot the nation, and particularly of Min
nesota, may be fed. The appeal is
being made by personal contact
through the press, by letters, and even
!. by the use of posters.