The Ordway new era., 1917-03-23
Beet Sugar News
and Farm Notes

beet sugar news and farm notes
The following article on the value
of beet tops when fed to dairy stock
was taken from Bulletin No. 154,
published by the Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station of the University of
Minnesota, dated February, 1916:
BEET TOPS
In addition to the cash value of
the beet crop, which has been SHOWN
to pay profit, an added value is OBJ
tanned from the beet tops. This value
depends largely on the feeding Of the
tops to some class of livestock. Most
of the farms studied in this survey
used this by-product as a feed for
dairy cows and without exception
the farmers testify to its worth. The
accurate yield of tops per acre was
not determined, as no actual weights
are available from experiments and
the weight would vary greatly with
conditions. The weight depends on
the time of hauling from the field, as
the green tops contain more water
growers range from l to 3 tons of
cured tops per acre. Various meth
DDS of handling the tops are practic-
ed; they are sliced, stacked, hauled
from the field as feed, and pastured.
1t is claimed that the tops may be pill
ed in a large pile and the exterior
layer will exclude the air so that
sliced product is obtained.
To place an accurate value per ton
or acre on the tops is difficult. In
this investigation all possible data on
this point were gathered In several
instances records were obtained of
sales of tops on the acre basis. These
varied from 50 to Sc per acre, while
estimates of growers on the value per
acre ranged from 50 to $12. Many
growers expressed themselves as be-
ing willing to grow the crop for the
tops as profit merely breaking even"
on the beets. An average value per
acre, obtained from the entire body
of producers. was $40 This cannot
be accepted as final or accurate. The
character of the livestock and the
manner of storing and fee''ng active
ly affect the value obtained.
The testimonies of various grow
ers on this point follow: A grower
at Lesueur Center said: "The tops are
of milk is very much increased Very
similar to grass in the spring" A
grower near Markato said: 1--WE fed
the tops in place or grain with hay
and received surprising increase in
milk flow. They are worth at least
So per ton" A Dassel grower re-
marked. For pasture. the tops are
easily worth 50 an acre, for fertilizer
they are worth as much. while for
milk cows they are equal to corn sill
age, if not superior" feeder of
tops at Mankato is enthusiastic over
the product. He said, 81 bought 10
all winter. With grain and cured
beet tops the cows did we'll until
April. 1 fed all the tops the cows
would eat" Another man said 1.-THE
tons are surely great to increase the
milk flow. but l notice they cause a
peculiar taste to the milk" This
mans neighbor testified on the same
point, 1.-THE tops do not cause any
change in the taste Of the milk. and
am anxious to buy all the tops I
can at IS an acre to feed to my cows"
BY far the ma jority OF those who had
fed the tops claimed that they were
a very good succulent feed. AT about
81 per acre they are valuable by
product of the sugar beet.
If it is possible, :; will pay you to
disc your land before blowing. Be
sure your seed-bed is firm before
planting.
Practically all of the blowing in
this district has been done in the
spring of the year. Remember this
does not result in as firm a seed-bed
as fall plowing and, when seeding, be
sure to set your seeder accordingly.
If the seed-bed is loose, set your seed
er shoes higher to overcome the ex-
ira depth the seeder wheels sink into
the soil by reason of the loose seed