Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1924-07-03
Principal Crops
Used for Forage
Domestic Animals Consume
Three-Fow.ths of Product
of Improved Land.

u 49, etFAaA~@AAtA
and roughage for live stock. says the
Department Of Agriculture In q review
81 forage resources based on census
data and other material. The area
used TO produce forage In 1919 was
approximately 257. 200, 900 acres This
eompares with 100000 acres, or
about two-tenths Of the total crop
area, used for producing food fur hu-
man consumption. and S20o0.O00
acres, or about one-tenth OF the crop
area. used for other purposes. prin-
.ipaily to grow cotton, tobacco and
AJAX.
AS used by the department, the term
forage means all vegetable nurriment,
fresh or cured. which is consumed By
domestic animals II includes pagur-
age, browse, mast. green feed. hay.
straw, siIage and grain. Besides the
forage harvested from these 257,O00,-
300 acres live stock consumed the
product OF about e0.000,OO0 acres OF
humid improved pasture. OF probably
III 100000 acres OF humid unimproved
grassland pasture over half OF which
was In farms, and OF about 2S7 .000.-
300 acres OF forest and cut-0ver pas
ture land In farms or under other
private ownership and In national
forests. Live stock also grazed over
perhaps 5S7.OO0.0O0 acres OF arid or
ssmiarld grass land IN the West.
Hay and Forage.
These facts are held TO warrant the
conclusion that live stock consumed
about three-fourths OF the product Of
the improved land IN the country and
practically all the product OF unim-
proved pastures and grazing land. Ii
this connection Il is pointed out that
the census classification Hay and
Forage does not include many crops
usually used for forage. Il does not
include corn Except fodderl, and
corn Is the most important Of oil
crops used for forage. Thus the cen
sus report presents very Incomplete
picture OF our forage resources, when
the word forage is used In Its broadcast
sense
The 257.OOO.OO0 acres producing
crops for feed yielded slightly more
sustenance than the t.005.000 acres
used for pasture. More than one
fourth Of the pasture land is Ia the
arid western range. and nearly one
fourth more il forest and cut-over
land. having low capacity for carry
ting live stock
In the cotton belt In 1919 about 5S
per cent Of the crop land was devoted
to the production Of feed for live
stock. mostly corn. cowpeas, velvet
beans and peanuts About 81 per cent
81 the land IN this region was In cot.
ton. tobacco and other crops not used
~ feed for live stock or as food for
man. except incidentally. Less than
10 per cent was devoted to the pro-
iuctfon Of food consumed directly By
nan.
In the corn and winter wheat region
Yearly khree-fourths Of the crop land
a 1919 produced forage for live stock.
rhe remaining fourth produced food
.xcept on 2 per cent Of the area, which
vas devoted TO tobscco. In the corn
,slt. where all the hay and nearly all
he corn and oats are fed to live stock.
bout 81 per cent Of the crop land
reduced forage for farm animals. and
My 10 per cent produced food for
aan Only one-ffth OF I per cent
( the crop ares In the corn belt was
sed for other than feed OF food rrops
Hay is Dominant Crop.
Hay Is the dominant crop in the hay
nd dalrying regions TO the North and
,ast. Il occupies about SS per cent
I the crop land. and corn for fodder
nd silage occupies nearly per cent
lore. More than 30 per cent Of the
rop land Ia this area Is used 20 grow
ats. barley, corn and other crops for
led. About 30 per cent Il devoted to
ropa us@d for human food.
In the humid eastern half Of the
nlted 8tafes, considered Is q whole.
ns-fouFkh OF the crop land IL used !
grsw corn for grain, another fourth
" hay. fodder and siIage. and ffth !
n 0ats and other feed crops The
30 per cent produces most
the food used directly for human
In the United States and :
Ter half Of the cotton FIBER Of the
Grid More than three-nfths Of the
'op ares Ia the western half Of the y
nited States ls used for the produc- :
on Of forage. This territory, Of
'ufse, IL largely semiarid or arid. and =
mostly IN pasture or range land.
evertheIess. the proportion Of west
n crop land devoted TO producing q
ed for live stock is smaller than II
10 the East. owing largely 10 the
e. chat wheat IL one Of the best q
cps that can be grown on semiarid
nj. Wheat occupied nearly one
lrd of fhc harvested crop land in al
= western half Of the United States to
1919 Fruit IL niso relatively more
porfanf IN the West than In the
Ft.rage cr0pa. however do not bulk 81
large - value ~ IN area occupied
1.