American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-02-01

SuA-odheu edrtn, locally o as
adObe-unburnt brick dried in the sun.
As a matter of accuracy, the original
dairy barn was not built of bricks, but
in a solid mass of adobe. Additions
were built of bricks. The roof is of
corrugated sheet iron, which is the
only unsatisfactory feature of con-
struction, the roof, after seven years
service, now showing c~reyices. Some
other material will probably be used
when r~eroofing becomes necessary.
The walls are apparently growing
harder with the passing of years. A
blow on the walls meets with the same
resistance IS that which comes in
striking freburnt brick. 1t has a hol-
low sound-the sort Of a faint ring
that well-made pottery gives. There
is no sign of c%rumbling. In the dry
atmosphere age hardens the adobe.
Built the First Pit SilO.
The writer journeyed to Cheyenne
Wells principally to see this barn and
the four pit silos under the same roof,
but surrounded by newer walls and
separated from the main barn by a
partition. Superintendent Adams
built the first pit silo in eastern Colo
RADIO and he liked it so well that he
has been building them ever since.
While he o has a capacity of 21O
tons on the station. he is not yet sat
istied, but wants two more. At present
he is provided with ensilage for two
seasons, but he believes that he should
have enough for one more season. in
order to guard against all contingent
cies.
The year 1915 a a good one for
eastern Colorado. There was ample
rainfall and forage crops gave album
dant yields. Adams filled his four
silos in the fall of that year. He fed
literally and carried one silo full over
for 1916. He is now feeding out of
this, as the 1916 crops were scant.
With five or six silos he could have
filled them all in 1915 and had enough
to carry him through a possible dry
period during the coming summer. He
may not need it, but his theory is
that the silo is insurance and his plan
of farming is so arranged that, in wet
years, he lays up feed for the inev-
liable dry seasons.
One hundred dollars a midwinter
month income from cream in a year
of short rainfall, milking less than
twenty cows, is a good showing and
the silo is the only thing that makes
1t possible. It can't be done on dry
feed. The silage carried over from
1915 vas milo and it was as fresh
and fragrant as though it had been
put up in the past summer. There was
about five feet left in the bottom of
the silo when the writer examined
it the last week in December, but
there was another silo filled with corn
that was expected to keep the milk
coming until July, 1917. This corn
though short in stalk, made good grain.
The yield of grain would not have
been more than 10 to IL bushels per
acre, but used as silage the combina-
ton made a rich feed, as the proper
ton of grain to stalk was large.
The prairie grass of eastern Colo
RADIO provides a nutritious feed green
or dry, but it often happens that a
midsummer dry spell will burn the
grass and while it still makes good
pasture for stock cattle, it will not
sustain a profitable flow in milk COWS.
That extra silo filled with corn or one
Of the kafrs then pays for itself as
milk insurance.
Crop List Is Short.
The crop list at the Cheyenne Wells
station is short; corn, kafir, milo and
ane are the principal crops. Dwarf
katir is grown. as the standard variety
will not mature. The dwarf does not
always make grain, though always Civ
ing good forage. Milo and corn hold
about even in normal seasons, but
comes the dry veal when corn blasts,
milo stands still and ~revives with
the first late rain, making a crop OF
some kind under conditions that nc
other plant will weather.
Swadley is Mr.. Adams favorite va
riety of corn. This will always ma
ture when the rainfall is at all favor
able but the yield varies greatly, go
ing from 10 to 40 bushels, according
to the season. 1t makes two to six
tons Of ensilage to the acre.
White milo Of medium height is
] grown and it has besides its droutt
resistant qualities, immunity from
smut to recommend it over corn.
In 1915 milo made twelve tons Of
silage to the acre against four to fv,
tons Of corn; while the milo did no.
mature. it is this silage that brought
the hundred-a-month cream MONEY
fifteen months after it was canned.
Kafr, while not as reliable for graiI
as milo is liked by Mr.. Adams be
cause Of its ability to produce forage
In the sorghum he grows Western
Orange, which he says stock prefer I,
the amber variaty II makea dOuhti