La Junta tribune., 1917-01-27
UP TO DATE FARMING METHODS
Large Delegation of Land Owners,
Farmers and Stockmcn Made
Trip to \. Is. $. Co. Farms

Five auto loads of men from this
vicinity made the pilgrimage to the
farms of the American Beet Sugar
Company, west OF Lamar, last Satur-
day. The party was in charge of Ag-
riculturalists ]. b. Mayhem and j L.
Thompson who chaperoned the party
over 5000 acres and more of highly
cultivated lands on those farms.
The trip was made primarily to
show to the land owners, farmers
and stock feeders, what the company
Is doing to make the maximum
money return from each and every
acre on their farms To bring these
men in touch with those methods
whereby the a. b. S. Company are
making money out Of the side issues
OF the farming game, which the av-
erage man is neglecting.
There was something of interest
on every corner of these big farms.
The dairying, the feeding of hogs,
sheep and cattle; the alfalfa meal
mills, and. in short, every phase of
the modern up-to-the-m minute farm
plant that is being run on business
priuciples-the greatest return pos
sihle--without eNhausting the future
Of the land; a conservation of the
resources of the present that the re-
turns of the future may be antici-
patcd with reasonable assurance.
But the one big, overwhelming as
set from the farm that this party
saw and were impressed with was
the system of SLIDING beet tops and
straw and other cheap roughness:
and the resultant values obtained
Ihcretrom. These tops and straw are
sliced in a trench pit silo in width
about Il feet, in depth about 4 to
feet. and length varying with the
amount of ensilage that is to be ST.
loed. The beet tops and straw are
then placed in this pit in successive
layers OF varying thickness. The
wagon is driven over the ensilage
as placed in order to pack Il thor
ouehly When the whole Is piled and
packed to a height of to 3 feet
above the ground the entire mass is
covered with a good layer of straw.
and with from IL to "a inches of
.nrfH Ia gnpa 1.-Two mr. civ vr..lya ,b,
enslage is ready for feeding.
What is further particularly at
so prepared. Based upon the value of
$500 per acre for tops from L.
ton beet yield. with straw at 500
per ton, allowing 35 cents per ton
for hauling the tops and straw and
a like amount for the cost of exca-
yation of the pit. the figures show
that this ensilage will cost about
Sl.22 per ton. Its feed value is
equal In all respects to the best corn
cnsilage. From feeding operations
extending into the second year. the
company feels that this ensilage will
show feeding value of $1,000 per
acre OF beet tops.
The company has now on feed in
their lots several punches of steers
that are practically ready for the
market after 100 days feed. They
are finished In grand shape and they
should top the market, Yet these
steers have never had a mouthful of
grain. only a ration Of onsilage, cot
ton seed cake. beet pulp and hay,
4 ration that If exceedingly cheap
for the results obtained
The development Of this method
OF feeding. adapted from the Ger
man method TO meet our require
ments. holds great possibilities for
the feeding industry In the Arkan-
sas Valley. II will mean a gross rev.
enue added To the returns from the
growing OF bects and hay and grain,
that will make, In itself, grand re-
turn upon the Investment Such was
the concensus of opinion Of the TWEEN
ty-two men who made the trip last
Saturday Las Animas Leader.
Automobile Piutocrats Warned