Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-03-27

NUMBERS 10 WdfTdut Tie eApchuit ui
of the necessary time and labor. Ma.
pie strip and sugar are produced II
10 States, the annual output exceed
1000, 900 gallons of strip. These
figures can be doubled. The produc-
ton of sorghum strip in 1917 exceed
ed that in 1916 by nearly 1000, 600
gallons. Sorghum strip may be pro-
duced in nearly every State in the
Union. An increased production Of
sorghum strip will enable the public
still further to conserve the sugar
supply in most available form for
transportation to our soldiers.
Sheep and Wool
Effort should be made to Increase the produc-
ton Of sheep and wool. Increase In farm
are favorable and the FIRST cost Of stocking Is
not too high.
The wool produced in this country
furnishes only about 80 per cent of
the amount used in peace times; the
war demands have emphasized the
seriousness of this domestic shortage.
To equip 100000 soldiers and clothe
them for one year would. require the
entire quantity of wool grown annual
4 ly in this country.
During the recent years we have
shorn about 35,000,000 fieeces annual
lily, and the pulled wool taken from
sheep and lambs slaughtered for meat
brings the total clip up to the equi-
valent of about 100000 feeces. If
all this wool were suitable for mill
tary use, it would supply only 2,000,-
900 men. The production of wool in
the United States has remained prac-
tically stationary from 1914 to 1917,
while imports increased AZ per cent
and the estimated net supply increas-
ed only about II per cent.
That mutton and wool production
in this country can be increase great
ly admits of no doubt This can be
accomplished by developing sheep
husbandry on farms, especially in the
Eastern and Southern States. Steps
should be taken in the East and
South, and in any other portion of
the country so infested, to do away
with the sheep-killing dog menace by
State or local action. Large results
can be secured by improving methods
of breeding and management on the
range; by securing the restocking of
improved farm lands with sheep; by
the larger use of forage crops and
pastures; by encouraging sheep and
lamb clubs; by the elimination of
parasites; by protection against
losses from predatory animals; and
by having lambs ready for market
at from 70 to 80 pounds weight
grain to finish them and making pos
sible the maintenance Of larger
breeding fiocks.
Last but by far the least, sheep
husbandry is one of the greatest soil
builders known. A flock of sheep
pastured for a season upon a field
containing light soil will do as much
toward preparing the field for a crop
of legumes as an equal amount OF
commercial fertilizer. With the out
look for fertilizer not at all promis-
ing this should be a great item in the
promotion of sheep-raising.
Dairy Products
tanned to meet the needs Of this country and
to help supply the increasing demands Of the
allies.
Dairy products are essential to the
well-being of the Nation, and the
dairy cow produces more food with
less feed than any other of our do
nestle animals. Before the war the
United States received dairy products
from about 20 foreign countries
now these supplies have been largely
stopped and it has become necessary
not only to replace them at home,
but also to export large quantities. In
1914, for instance, we imported APP
proximately 81 million pounds more
of dairy products than we exported,
not including fresh milk and cream.
In 1917 we exported 800 million
pounds more than we imported.
The total amount Of milk produced
in this country in 1917 is estimated
to be 84,611 100000 pounds Large
losses occur, and the greatest is
through the failure fully to utilize
skinned milk and buttermilk for
human food. These products have all
of the food value of the whole milk
except the fat. A given quantity of
them would produce seven times as
tage cheese as they would produce in
The possibilities of increasing the
supply of food by the fuller utiliza-
ton Of these by-products are enor-
nous. In brief, there should be a
better utilization of SKINNED milk
and buttermilk, both as food on the
farm and through the market
Better results n dairying may be
secured by proper sanitation and care
in producing and handling milk; by
better care and utilization of pas
lures; by raising on the farm ade-
quate supplies Of roughage, particu-
larly legumes and silage to take the
place Of grains so far as is practic-
able; by preserving for dairy pur-
poses all the high-producing animals
and eliminating those that are inef-
ficient; by feeding according to pro-
duction so as to secure the greatest
yield of milk with the least quantity
of feed, which necessitates record
of production Of individual cows by
the full utilization in the community
of good bulls throughout the entire
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