Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-01
Feeding Alfalfa and Baled Straw
and Alfalfa to COWS

anu tAiIdHd 10 lows
have j. j. c., Marietta. Ga,
writes: l have baled wheat and
oat straw and baled alfalfa and
shucks, which I wish to feed to
dairy COWS this fall and winter.
Would it be better to buy a feed
mill and grind these up or feed
like it is? What kind of feed
mill would you recommend? In
what proposition should cotton
seed meal and hulls be fed?
Cattle have the power of regulat-
ing their food. In other words. they
are supplied with a large and ca
paciouS paunch. They are naturally
30 constituted therefore as to be
able to consume large quantities Of
dry roughage, work it over and re-
fine it satisfactorily in their diges-
tive systems. On this account, we
believe there is no objection 10 feed
Ing a considerable amount of rough
age to dairy cattle. We have made
1t practice to feed ours cows part
! yOn material of this character. The
palatability of rOughage can be in
creased by running it through a
cutting box and moistening it with
water containing little salt. If it
Is allowed to stand for few hours
before it is fed, it naturally becomes
softer and more palatable than
when used in the dry form. We have
never believed it desirable to pur-
chase a feed mill for the purpose Of
grinding up roughage. Shredded
torn stalks can of coarse be fed 20
Rdvantag e. When one is operat-
Ing a dairy enterprise, it is advis
able TO put the money a feed mill
would cost into a silO. We favor the
grinding Of grain of the character
mentioned for dairy cattle because
1t will be more readily digested and
assim lated when ground rather
than fed whole. 1t is right to grind
BORN cobs, shucks and all along with
wheat and oats. By this plan YOU
Emply add volume to your grain
Iced. AS rule, we feed our cows
Just before the milking operation
begins. This we regard as the prop.
Dr. practice TO pursue.
There are very many makes of
Iced mills on the market which do
satisfactory work. The best way is
10 advise with different manufac-
. lurerS and only purchase a mill aft
kr you have witnessed a satisfactory
demonstration and receive a proper
guarantee as to the length of time
Ihe mill can be expected to give you
food service.
If We were feeditg cottonseed
heal and hulls to cows, we would
ase these materials in the ratio of
tne pound of the former to five
bounds of the latter. When you are
leeding a mixed grain ration one
bound of mixed grain to ten pounds
f hulls.
Send us the sketch of your dairy
barn, and We will be glad to aid
lou in re-arranging your structure
IN a satisfactory basis.
Keeping Apple Orchard Productive
w. &. S, CedartoWn, Ga,
! writes: Please give me good
formula for fertilizing my Win
ter apples and the best time
to apply the fertilizer.
The fertilizer needs of orchards
. tary according to their age and con-
ttion and the character of the soil
lpon which they have been estab-
ished. For d young orchard, the
ertiliZer should run relatively high
h nitrogen. When the trees are
earring heavily, the use of the cV-
hents, phosphoric acid and potash,
- mould be emphasized. Orchards
iced a plentiful supply of organic
batter. This may be provided in a
tarety of ways Well-rotted yard
manure answers very we'll when APP
Med on the basis Of ten to -,wolvo
bnS per acre once, say, in three
ears. Leguminous crops m1y be
rown in the orchard and turned
mder for the purpose of increasing
he humus supply of the soil, Com
hercial fertilizer costs anyWh&E c
rom fifteen to twenty-five cents per
bund. Hence, it is onlv natural
hat the orchardist should attempt
supply at least a part of the
Htroeen needed on this basis
trough the medium of leguminous
fops at cost of from five to eight
ents a pound. Apple trees remove
good deal OF fertilizer from the
bill. If Ons were to supply a car
Ter of nitrogen containing 30 pounds
[ available nitrogen, 1872 pounds OF
valuable phOsphOric acid and 200
Dunds of available potash, it would
OF add to the land more than the
sltiizer constituents taken away
tom each acre by heavy crop of
bples. A formula suitable for the
urpose indicated ma he made NJ
great varietv Of constituents
h any event it should supply per
tnt of available nitrogen, 10 per
Int of available phosphorus acid
nd 10 per cent Of available potash
kperts in the use of fertilizers
ke Voorhees, recommend the use
/ formulas containin" as much as
Iper cent OF available nitrogen.
Fertilizers are best applied to or
hards in the spring Distribute
Ie material uniformly over the
brface of the ground and work it
with a harrow. Do not put the
Etilizer too close to the trunk of
e tree. The amount of fertilizer 10
bply varies from two 10 three
hunds with young trees up TO as
! lgh as ten or twelve pounds with
ature trees. In north Georgia, the