The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-11-01
BEET TOP SILACE
Is WORTH s. PER
TON FOR FEEDING

AN INEXPENSIVE AND PALAT-
ABLE FEED is PROVIDED FROM
TWO WASTE PRODUCTS, BEET
TOPS AND STRAW-SILOING
COST VERY SMALL.
Difficulties With Choke and Scour-
ing AvOided-Succulent and Warm
Feed is Provided for Winter Feed
ing-Hay Bill Reduced.
Every farmer in Bingham County
growing beets should make arrange
ments to silo the beet tops for win
ter stock feeding purposes, states
County Agent Monroe, in an article
appearing in the current issue OF the
Bingham County Farm Bureau News.
The article is as follows:
For a number of years the feeding
value of beet tops has been recog-
nized by the farmers of Bingham
County, hence some use has been
made of this feed in the field, The
method used, however, was waste
full for the reason that the stock
were turned in the field and the
tops and crowns were trampled into
the dirt and a large portion of the
tops dried up and blew away. mas
much as the animals were allowed
free access to the tops, undue guam
titles were eaten which resulted in
digestive troubles such as choking.
securing, decrease in milk flow and
even loss of flesh. case the
1rynn4hnv crroh IN tho
decay of the tops there was consid-
cradle danger of poisoning.
For long time the value of sue
culent food in winter ratiOnS has
been recognized by progressive
stock feeders and much use has been
made of corn, peas, oats, alfalfa and
even sunflowers for silo filling. In
the beet growing districts of Colo
RADIO, Utah and some sections of Ida
no some use has been made of the
beet tops for SLIDING purposes. While
this utilization of beet tops is COM
paratively a new thing in our Sec
ton last year and in fact was a
matter of experimentation the prac-
tice of making and feeding beet top
Silage has long been established in
such European countries as France
and Belgium. Practically all of the
stockmen in the Upper Snake River
valley who have given beet top sill
age fair trial are enthusiastic ov-
er the proposition. 1t is no longer
an experiment but has been proven
a practical >and economical farm
practice. ~
1t is one of the most valuable of
our feed crops and one which has
been utterly wasted by the major
ity of our beet growing farmers in
the past. Several of the stockmen
in the Sugar City region use beet top
silage in preference to the beet pulp,
one farmer in particular refusing to
haul the beet pulp across the road,
using beet top Silage and alfalfa hay
for his winter feeding.
The principles of storing corn sill
age successfully apply to beet top
silage. The tops must be packed so
as to exclude all their pockets and
the silage should be sealed tightly
so as to keep out the outside air. Al
though it is considered desirable to
run the beet tops and crowns thru
silage cutter they may be sliced
whole and the mass packed down
well.
Wooden or concrete upright silos,
such as are ordinarily used for corn
silage, will serve for beet tops but
generally less expensive type of
silo can be used. The fact that beet
tops can be sliced without large
outlay of money is one of the good
features about the proposition, the
silo construction usually used be-
ing on the order of potato pit. 1t
is generally preferred to have the
pit fairly narrow and to increase the
capacity by increasing the length.
In this way the surface exposed dur
ing the feeding period is minimized
as the feeding is done from one end.
The larger siloS in use have mostly
been from 10 to Is feet wide at the
bottom and from II to 20 feet wide
at the top. If only few head of
stock are to be fed the pit should be
made narrower, a Colorado report
stating that many of the smaller
feeders are planning to use pits 4
feet wide at the bottom and from 6
to feet wide at the top. ~
The length of the pit is determin-
ed altogether by the amount of sill
age to be stored.
The depth varies from 3 to feet.
If drainage conditions are right, Az
or feet is generally preferred. The
tops are generally piled up or A feet
above the level of the ground, max
ing the depth of the sliced tops from
7 to 10 feet.
The pit is usually prepared during
spare moments. 1t is made with the
ordinary slip scraper and the sides
smoothed down and properly sloped
by the use of spades or shovels.
If the character of the soil is such
that it will not drain readily the bot
tom of the pit should be made with a
slight slope so as to facilitate drain
age. Both ends of the pit should
slope in order to give easy access
for the wagons while the pit is fill
ing.
Filling the Silo.
When the beets are harvested the
tops are piled. As soon as possible
they should be hauled and stored in
the pit. If this is done within a few
davS after digging the tops are but