The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-08-26
BLUE VALLEY FARM SERVICE
By NJ. A. Nye
Meeting the Hay Shortage 1925

Meeting the Hay Shortage 1926
A shortage of tame hay in Mime
sofa brings the farmers of the state
face to face with the necessity of
careful planning in order to meet
livestock requirements for the coming
winter. The following is a copy of a
recent folder distributed by the Col
lege of Agriculture, University of
Minnesota:
The tame hay crop in Minnesota is
exceedingly short of normal produc-
ton throughout the state this year,
and in number of counties the sup
ply will fall much below livestock re-
quirements for the coming winter.
The first cutting of alfalfa was a
disappointment because of the dry
weather, and in many place, because
of severe winter killing, and while
the second crop as a whole is better
than the first it is not very good in
many sections of the state. A third
cutting is not usually advised as it
may result in winter killing, but
many farmers will doubtless take a
chance this year. The third cutting
should in all cases be taken off not
Later than September 5.
There is surplus of wild or
slough hay in some sections but this
is not good roughage for livestock,
and, when the freight is added to the
F. o. B. prices, 1t becomes exceed
ingly high-priced feed for the nutri-
ents it contains.
Inquiries have been made relative
to surplus hay supplies in neighbor-
ing states, and the outlook is anything
but favorable for reasonably priced
tame hay for the coming feeding sea-
son. When roughage costs over a
cent pound or $40 ton, the live
stock that consumes it must be of ex-
ceptionally good quality and of high
producing capacity to make it pay.
Therefore, when it gets to be 1 Il to
IL cents a pound, as it probably will,
it is doubtful whether many farmers
will be able to afford to ship it from
neighboring state for the feeding Of
the ordinary run Of cattle. .-
In view of these facts farmers
should consider utilizing every form
of farm roughage in order to avoid
shipping high-priced hay from a dis
lance.
~
Using the Corn Crop
Undoubtedly more corn than ever
before, will be cut this year for live
stock roughage. There are several
forms in which the corn crop may be
used as roughage.
First, as silage. The farmer this
year should fill his silo to capacity.
If he has no silo of the usual up
right type, he may resort to the
trench silo, provided there is a site
on heavy, we'll drained soil. A bulle-
tin telling how to construct such a
silo may be had on application to
the Division of Publications, Univer-
sity Farm, st. Paul.
Second, by shocking. The method
most in favor in using the entire corn
crop, is to cut and shock in the field
in large shocks. After thorough dry
ing, it may be riked or staked near
the feed-yard.
Third, as shredded fodder. Inquir-
les as to stack silage-that is, silage
put in a fenced enclosure in the form
of stack from IL to Is feet high
and from ID to 20 feet in diameter
have been received. This method
has been tried at University Farm two
or three years without very favorable
results, and it is doubtful whether it
should be recommended in compari-
son with the other methods mention
ed.
r.
Dat Straw for Feed
It has been suggested, also, that,
NH r,orrihla 11rloa1, tho oats cr0n