Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-04-09
LIVE g
STOCK
NEED FOR STUDY OF EFFICIENCY
or FEED STUFFS

volved a very close study of he econ
omics Of the national feed situation
Heretofore feeds. labor. etc, have
been very abundant and have been
available at such low prices that close
calculation In their use has been uD-
necessary. But competition has now
arisen to such an extent, and the
prices OF raw materials in comparison
with sale values of the finished pro
duct have become so high, as to nah g
cattle feeding in great many cases
Improbable. During past years the
tendency in this country has been for
few feeders to produce the entirety
1T our beef supply. In European coun-
tries this situation, to q large extent,
Is reversed, each farmer feeding
small number OF cattle. This differ
cnce may be accounted for in three
ways: First, cattle feeding in Europe
has been practiced for more than 200
years. Second, farmers in general in
those sections seem to have great
er knowledge Of the nutritNe value
OF feeds, as well as greater ability ia
the practical use of them. Third, the
dense population in European coun..'
tries has necessitated the use of very
intensive methods along all lines of
production. European farmers as =
whole show greater knowledge OF the
scientific phases of the different fee l.
ing operating than American farmers.
Al the present time Europeal feeders
ere using gerat deal of cotton seed
meal, and it is fact that they know
more about its feeding value than the
average American farmer. Putting the /
matter ter8ely, one Of the greatest .
needs of the American farmer today |,
is education in the use of both com.
mcrcial and farm grown feeds
In purchasing feeding materials, Eu- /.
ropean farmers consider the cost of I
The feed per pound Of nutrients. Few
American farmers have definite /
idea of the different nutrients which .
compose the feed stuffs or their uses .
With the state feed control offices ana /
with laws regulating the aduIteration .
. feeds, American farmers have ex. |
cellent facilities for protection IN the |
purchase Of feeding materials, but few .
farmers avail themselves of the OPP .
rortunities offered in this way. Such .
protection is valuable only when the .
farmer has some idea of the nutritive |
value of feeds, and having this know .
ridge, makes use of it III the purchase
Of supplies
If some simple method Of calculat- !
'rg the comparative feeding values Of |
various feeds could be devised, 50 as
= show numerically the food value of .
each feed, and If such food value, |
aicng with the percentage Of deesti- .
bic protein, We're printed on each tao .
attached to a feed bag. the farmers
would undoubtedly soon learn the rel .
alive values of the various common
ward a more economical use of feeds.
Root Crops
No good English or Scotch feeder
would think of keeping a breeding
herd without mangels, beets, turnips.
or some other such feed. The use of
root crops in the feeding of cattle in
wolves somewhat more labor than If
they are fed other material, but at
the same time where such crops have
been used feeders have found it prof
table. The growing and feeding OF
root crops is to be advised only in
specie cases In this country, as the
high cost of labor sometimes prohib-
its the economical production of such
crops Where labor is relatively cheap
and intensive methods are practiCci
root may be produced and fed to adj
vantage.
Root crops are especially valuable
for feeding young stock and breeding
cattle and cattle which are being fit
ted for show purposes. AS they are
excellent feed for cows which are
calves. AS long as large
farms exist and labor is expensive it
is doubtful If root crops can be rails
ed and harvested more cheauIy.
Protein for Cattle Feeding
The cheapest source of protein
today for cattle feeding is the by-pru,
ducts of our oil bearing seeds All the
feeds necessary for the feeding of live
stock can hardly be grown on tho
farm. Even under intensive European
European farmers End it nee
cssary to purchase certain portion
Of their concentrated feeds. OF course
Ii the entirety of the material which
Is needed for feeding purposes can
be grown on the farm it is essentials
hat this course be followed, Wlth the
existing farm conditions cattle. feed
Eg alonS will not keep up soil fertil
ty if this upkeep depends upon the
z eds which are grown upon the farm
Some of the plant food is
bound to be marketed in the form 81
ceef, milk, or other live stock pro
iucts Besides this other losses OF
nlant food continually occur On most
arms the purchase of additional high
protein concentrates from a perman-