Manchester Democrat., 1918-08-28
Snape Makes Profits Bigger.


Silage makes cattle feeding profit
able. Steers fed silage returned an
average profit of 3S cents per bushel
of corn fed with the silage, while
those fed on dry roughage returned
but 16 per cent profit for each bushel
Of corn fed. The silage fed steers
made an average profit Of $1624 per
head against but 1925 per head for
the dry ration steers. These results
represent the average Of eight years
experiments by the Indiana experiment
station. A 120-ton silo furnishing feed
for 40 steers for 120 days would, on
this basis, pay 1920 toward its pur-
chase price each year
The silo and proper use Of corn
silage will do more toward making
production profitable than will any
other one factor. Many silage fed
steers broke even or made little
money last winter. Mighty few dry
fed steers made good"
At the Nebraska experiment station
last winter steers fed on silage, alfalfa
and cottonseed cake made profit OF
1888 a head, while steers fed corn and
cottonseed cake, and alfalfa, lost $S.19
each, according to the appraised value,
at the cost of $50 days feeding. 1t
cost $5.55 more to make 100 pounds
of gain on the corn fed cattle than the
silage fed steers, while the corn fed
steers were appraised at but so cents
hundred pounds higher than the
silage fed cattle.
Winter Wheat
Many calls are coming into the
county agents office for information
regarding winter wheat. Different
meetings have been held over the
county during the past week and the
local co-operators are starting on their
campaign.
While there has been some question
about the policy of raising winter
wheat, men are beginning to realize
that the government would not have
requested it had it not been necessary
owing to the shortage of wheat In 9TH
er parts of the country which has been
brought on by the drought. Further
more, the fact that the United States
will have at least three million soldiers
in the field by this time next year
means an addition of twelve million or
more behind the lines to feed: This
makes it imperative that a large
amount of wheat be on hand.
The rains have made it possible to
prepare an excellent seed bed for the
winter wheat and If the plowing has
not already started it is time to begin
work. In cases where the plowing will
be delayed it would be a good plan to
disk the land in order to hold the
moisture. Some farmers are seeding
wheat on stubble land which has been
moved and plowed to depth of five
or six inches deep. Others are seeding
the wheat in standing corn either with
a drill or broadcasting it and harrow
ing it in. The corn can be husked as
winter sets in and pastured by cattle
when the ground is frozen. When the
Spring opens and the ground is still
frozen the stalks may be leveled by
the use of drag pole, as is custom
arily used at oat seeding time.
Corn which is. to be hogged down
could be prepared quite easily by|
stalking out strip and hogging it
down, after which it could be disked
and the wheat seeded with drill
On sandy soil it would probably be
advisable to grow little rye instead
of wheat. There is plenty of wheat
in the county and the county agent
will endeavor to secure the names Of
those who have winter rye for sale.
The question has come up again about
the source of winter wheat seed. AS
was mentioned last week, Charles
Noble of Manchester, is purchasing
carload of winter wheat in Clayton
county which will be shipped to Man
chester in the near future. AS yet the
grain has not been threshed in Clay
ton county, but if the weather remains
favorable it will not be long until it
will be on the market. Have you start
ed .plowing yet for your winter wheat?