The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1918-07-25

Best Way To Utilize the Cntirs Plant
On the Farm Is BY Max
ing Plenty Of SiiaGe.
BY j. H. Mcleod. Livestock Specialist,
Extension Division. University
of Arkansas.

With the prospect of producing a
large corn crop this year, Arkansas
people should make provision for
handling this crop in the best possible
manner. II is true there will be
money in the grain and that many will
pull fodder, but would II not be an ex-
cellent plan to utilize the entire corn
plant and produce the most meat and
milk at the cheapest price? The hes,
way to utilize the entire plant on the
farm is by making silage. Silos have
come into general use in the last 80
years in every section in the United
States where livestock growing Ia
profitable and silage is universally
recognized as a good and cheap feed
for farm animals,
Since the price OF grain will prob
ably be very high. some may desire
to use less corn in the silage. and
wherever alfalfa and other legumes
can be produced this can easily be
done by combining corn or sorghum
silage with alfalfa or legume hay. q
very cheap feed for both meat ana
milk production can thus be secured.
Naturally. this combination, silage fed
without grain. however. does not give
the greatest fow OF milk or the best
quality of meat. However some Of
the most economically produced meat
that has been put on the market this
year was fed upon the silage and hay
ration.
Silos also ofler cheap storage since
corn cured in the field will oeeuSy
ten times as much space in the barn
as in the silo.
Silos are also profitable. Livestock
furnish a sure market for the corn in
| form Of silagel and at the same time
they help keep up the fertility of the
soil by the fertility they return In the
form of manure. II is a significant
fact that wherever livestock are kept
rotation Is more generally practiced
! and the fertility OF the land better
| maintained.
II is certain that with our corn and
cotton system of farming We VIII III
time deplste the richest soils Of cur
state Reason teaches us that we can.
not continually fake fertility from tho
soil and never return any. Expert.
mcnts have also been performed which
back our Judgment in this matter.
Such an experiment covering a period
of 30 years was carried on by Illinois
Experiment Station. The summary Of
the experiment is given below:
"At this station the yield on typ'-
/ cal soil has decreased under eontinu
ous corn raising from 20 bushels to
The acre 10 - bushels TO the acre dur
/ ing this period. while under a system
OF crop rotation and proper fertiliza-
| zion the yield on a portion OF the same
Held has been increased during the
same period to sc bushels per acre.
| These Yields are not OF certain year.
but averages of three-year periods.
! The 90 bushels were obtained in s
threeye rotation in which corn was
followed by oats in which clover was
sown: the next year clover alone. fol
| lowed by corn again. Stable manure
| Win COunmeTCldl IeTtlilZeTb Was ~
piled TO the clover ground to be plow-
ed under for corn. The difference IN
the yields obtained between the rota,
ton system where fertility was sp
piled and the straight corn cropping
without fertility was 60 bushels per
acre or over two and a half times that
Of the system Of continuous corn rails
ing 4 large proportion of this differ
ence in yield VS. clear profit. "a tho
actual expense Of producing the 20
bushels 10 the acre was but little
more than in growing the q. II the
results OF these two yields were NJ.
ured down to a nicely and the value Of
the land determined by the net in
come. IL would be found that the we'll
formed acres would be worth an enoc
nous price as compared with a gift
Of the land that Produced the smaller
| yield"
II is not the intention OF the writer
Of this article To leave the impression
that every man who raises corn should
have a silo, but there is no doubt but
what silo will pay a man who keeps
as many as Is head Of beef cattle and
rs many as 10 head OF dairy cattle.
A GOOD WAY TO SELL PRODUCE.