The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1919-04-17

One of the biggest phoblems with
which the dairy farmers of Stearns
County have to contend in the proper
balancing of rations to their herds, is
the securing of a proper amount OF
protein feeds at a reasonable price to
Justify their feeding. The principle
protein feeds at the farmers COM
mand in the way of concentrates are
wheat bran, middlings, oil meal, cot
ton seed meal and gluten feeds. The
principle roughage clovers and alfal-
fas. Of these, feeds cloNers and al
fafas being the home grown protein
feeds where they can be properly
produced often reduce materially. the
cost of the necessary protein. How
ever, the majority of farmers in this
county are still either forced in a
way to use in their feeding wild hays
and hays not of leguminous ma
ture which are very low in protein
content and consequently of COM
paratively low feeding value as feeds
for dairy cow.
In parts of Wisconsin and even in
neighboring counties where this same
condition exists farmers are beginning
to look to a comparatively new crop
as the solution of this feeding prob
lem. The souy bean, which is the
crop here referred to, will undoubted-
ly in a few years be grown more gen.
orally throughout the state and in
this county as protein feed to help
out in the proper feeding of dairy cat
tie. Last year several farmers in
Sherburne County planted souy beans
for the first time. w. T. Parry, county
agent of Sherburne County, in describ-
ing the results accomplished in his
county in the growing of this crop
writes as follows. "We found that
souy beans added from two to three
tons more silage to the acre and gave
silage much richer in protein. Souy
beans can be mixed with corn at the
time of planting at the rate of from
8 to 10 pounds per acre. The planter
should be set to plant the usual
amount of corn and the beans extra
The mixture can be either checked OF
drilled but required frequent stirring
up to prevent the beans from settling
at the bottom.
In a normal season and on average
ground the beans will not lessen the
yield of corn per acre but rather
tends to increase the corn crop and
you will secure the beans extra. This
is due to the ability of the beans
when properly inoculated to take their
nitrogen from the soil air.
All souy beans should be inoculated
before seeding. This can be easily
and cheaply done by the glue me-
thod Where souy beans were plant
ed with corn we succeeded in getting
a ton and half or more of silage pei
acre. Two tons of silage at $500 a
ton would increase the acre crop
value in the fields where planted, $14
per acre. Souy bean hay is equal to
alfalfa hay in feeding value and
ground beans have a feeding value
equal to linseed meal. Beans planted
with corn for hogging off will give
hogs cheap balanced ration and will
improve the soil"
Another advantage of souy beans
bean growing as compared with other
legumes is found in the fact that the
souy beans is an annual crop and can
be worked into a rotation to better
advantage than either clover or al
falfa especially alfalfa where when a
proper stand is secured, there is often
a tendency which is justified to leave
this crop for several years on the
same field and hence break up de-
finitely planned scheme of crop rota-
TI,S- &c TO ~
way the growing of clover or alfalfa.
We still have need for a greatly in
creased acreage of both of these
legumes wherever they can be sue
cessfully grown. However, the souy
bean can well be given a chance on
the same farm with clover and alfalfa
and especially on the farms where
these legimious hay crops are not be-
ing produced in sufficient quantity
to furnish the required amount of
roughage. .-
Another advantage Of the souy bean
is the fact that there is no danger of
it's winter killing being as it is an
annual crop planted in the spring and
harvested in the summer or early fall.
1t may be grown in complete posses
sion of the soil with the corn.
Ninteen Stearns County farmers,
cooperating with the Farm Bureau,
have promised to plant from three to
six acres of souy beans this spring.
These farms are quite well distributed
over the county and will give a fair
idea Of the ACCESSIBILITY Of further in
creasing the acreage Of this crop in
years. The Wisconsin Early
Black and the Elton souy bean are
the two varieties which will be used