Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-05-07
AMONG THE FARMERS.


Corespondence on prscticai Agricultural topic
solicited. Address all communications In
tended for this department. TO HE0Y ID
HAMMOND, Agricultural Editor Oxford Dem
ocras. Paris, Ne.
Home Drown Dairy Feeds.
(E. w. Morton, Extension Instructor In Dairy
ing. In Farmers Week)
It has been fully explained through
the newspapers and other periodicals
that to wage the war successfully each
community throughout the country
must be self-sustaining insofar as it is
able, by increasing the home production
of food and feeds. This, In itself, is one
great reason why Maine should endeavor
to produce ss much feeding stuffs as
possible.
At the present time the supply OF
available grains for feeding purposes Is
limited and expensive. Thus home pro-
duction has an economical phase as we'll.
In encouraging an increased production
IL is also we'll to suggest that IL is as i'm
portant to utilize the products in the
production of milk and the develop
ment of young stock on the farm, re-
turning fertility to the soil 10 the form
of manure, as il is to produce the crop.
Ip following this practice, more fertile
fields will result, and their productivity
will be maintained more economically
than in any other way.
In considering the feeds to grow, the
roughsges are Of first importance. An
improvement in the quality and growing
those which contain the greatest amount
of digestible food nutrients is to be en-
couraged. An endeavor should be made
during the coming year to increase the
clover content. Since this roughage Is
high in protein, mineral matter, and
when harvested properly is quite sue
culent. To ensure good stand test the
seed for termination, test lands for
acidity and SOW on soil that Is well
drained. Harvest the crop when 1-3 of
the heads throughout the field are dead
Cure the hay as quickly as possible with
a minimum amount of handling. If the
crop is not too heavy and the weather
conditions will permit store in the barn
the second or third day. II the hay is
placed in bunches TO go through a
sweating process protect IL from the ele-
ments by covering with hay caps.
In those sections where 1t is inadvis-
able to grow clover alone, increase the
amount of seed generally used in the
grass mixture.
In the harvesting of any hay an extra
effort should be made to harvest early
and cure properly. II the crop becomes
very ripe, the finer portions which are
most valuable for feeding are lost, while
the hay which is stored In the barn is
woody and unpalatable.
Silage is another rougbsge which
should be grown In large amounts. A
silo Is an indispensable adjunct OF the
dairy farm, since il is the most economi-
furnishes a fodder high 10 digestible
food nutrients, and very succulent.
In considering crops for the silo, corn
is unexcelled, since 1t will yield agreater
tonnage per acre, is stored more
readily, and when combined cor
rectly with proteinaceous feeds
will produce and maintain q greater
milk flow, than any other form OF silsge.
In selecting corn for the silage crop,
the farmer should plant q flint variety
which will approach maturity, produo-
ing q larger amount Of ears, with less
fodder to the acre but of far greater
feeding value, than any of the southern
ensilage varieties which require longer
growing season than is found In the
state of Maine.
Glover also makes excellent silsge, but
is more valuable as hay.
Hungarian, oats and peas, oats and
barley make excellent substitutes for
corn in the silo, and should be grown 10
those sections not adapted to corn, or In
those seasons when it Is impossible to
SOW corn sufficiently early for 1t to at.
tain the silage stage.
There are also two grains that may be
grown and included in the ration, oats
and barley.
Oats have the same feeding value as
wheat bran, with q greater amount OF
carbohydrates and fat. Their cost is
generally prohibitive to purchase in the
market for feeding, but homo production
would place them within the reach OF
all.
Before sowing oats, treat the seed
with formaldehyd yde, l pint of formalds
hyde in so gallons of water, allowing the
grain 70 soak In this solution 20 minutes.
Seed should be selected, which viii
yield well to the acre, and will grow
large head with mini@n %
amount of straw. Land which
has been manured the previous year
should receive an application OF 200 to
800 lbs. OF Acid Phosphate to the acre to
ensure well filled heads and . strong
strsw which will remain erect till the
grain 10 harvested.
Barley 10 much more carbonsceous
than oats. The seed should be selected,
sowing an eight rowed bearded variety
to insure the greatest yield per acre.
This crop requires shorter growing
season than other grains, thus 1t Is pos
sibls to SOW In late, wet springs, insuring
a yield from land that would remain un-
productive.
Roots impart O succulent effect to the
winter ration but are costly to grow. ls
| Ia possible to decrease the cost OF raising
by first billing up the rows with q
notato planter, SOW the seed with small
drill on top of these hills, cultivate with
a one. horse cultivator. In the fall the
crop is harvested with potato digger.
Greater production OF the various
Icrops mentioned through seed seiectof
and sowing varieties that are adapted te
the community in which the crop Is te
be produced, will result than by incrsas
ing the acreage and sowing poor seed
IL is far better to first make inquiries
and locate home grown seed to grow
which Ia of good quality and known pro
duotiop. than to 60 outside the commun
nity and purchase seed which may prov
unsuitable and uuadspted to SOIL ant
climatic conditions.
Clean Mllk Easy to Produce.
Mix with q low bacterial count cal
he produced In practically any COW barn
Apy dairy farmer with . healthy her.
can produce such milk with an invest
ment Of only $40 or go and little exsr
care.
Agriculturs in an experiment produce
!. low bacterial count milk In poor dair
: barn.
: The only changes made were:
Simple steam stsrilizer for utensil'
Il Clean COWS, especially clean uddert
Small-top milking pals.
Proper manure removal and goo
bedding.
The bacterial count fell from - hig
m / zoe. 600 to an average OF 2,l64.
Az fsyuner oau produce clean milk.