The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-01-21

out there they grew a kind of clover
that lives forever and that produces
5 crops in a single season; that the
hay when fully cured is as green in
color as when growing in the field;
that they feed this hay to their horses,
their cattle, their sheep, their poultry
and to their hogs; that they call
this new clover alfalfa. The story
goes that a Colorado farmer entertain
ing a relative from the east was asked
by him what in the world he did with
all that alfalfa stacked all over his
farm, to which the farmer replied that
there wasn't a living, moving thing
upon the farm that didn't eat alfalfa
except the hired girl-but she had
been with them only a little better
than a week and would presently fall
in line on the alfalfa ration.
During the past summer tests at
our North Dakota Agricultural College
conducted by Mr.. Peters in producing
pork on alfalfa pasture along with diff
ferent grant rations show that pigs
which had access to a self-feeder while
or pasture grew pork at a cost of 9
cents a pound. Another lot of pigs
limited to 3R pounds of grain per day
and all the pasture they wanted grew
pork at the cost of 7 cents per pound.
And a third lot with only 2R pounds
of grain along with alfalfa pasture
produced pork at the low cost of Ga
cents per pound. There are few To-
~calities in Montana where Jehu
flint corn will not grow and ripen
every year. and right alongside of that
cornfield a big field of alfalfa will
grow. Now there is nothing under the
sun that will prevent these pigs when
put into these two fields from making
hogs of themselves. If the farmer is
going to raise, gather, and carry the
hogs feed to him in the pen, he will
be working for the hog instead of the
hog working for him.
Repeatedly tests carried out with
dairy cows as to the relative value
Of alfalfa hay for milk production have
proven conclusively that it equals
wheat bran. The reason for this is
that alfalfa is very rich in protein
the very substance required to pro-
duce milk. 1t also produces red blood
and muscle and, being also rich in
mineral matter, it produces bone and
is therefore the feed par excellence
for young growing stock. The cheap
ness along with which alfalfa can be
crown should be IN incentive to every
farmer to grow it. Then coupled with
the fact that its feeding value is the
highest of all forage crops, he cannot
afford not to grow it. Alfalfa hay is
being grown in Montana at an expense
not to exceed $500 or $500 per ton
and it can be produced for less. Still
there are hundreds of farmers who
are paying today $4,000 per ton for the
protein in wheat bran when they could
raise the same thing for $500.
This protein fed is absolutely nee
essary to growing stock and to the
milk COW and to the laying hen. The
cow and the hen are each machines
which use so much food energy for
the needs of their bodies. That sup
piled, they begin to turn out their
products and whether or not the milk
pail is filled or the egg basket heaped
up depends largely upon the amount
of protein food they get. For winter
egg production we find alfalfa is in
dispensible.
Fine For Growing Beef
AS a grower and feeder of beef
cattle l find that calves weaned ir
the fall at 8 or 8 months of age
and fed all the alfalfa they want
During the winter, never stop growing
for a minute. l like to have the calves
dropped in January and February
The cows fed alfalfa give a good flow
of milk. pushing the calves right
along from the start. The calves
themselves soon learn to eat alfalfa
and a creep is made for them where