Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-07-01

Hi THE ny
lWEXURu
USE OF
GRADES is URGED

prepared by the United States pepArs-
ment of Agricultural
Complaints of many dairymen IN
Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana.
Ohio and Minnesota, that their orders
for alfalfa are improperly filled by
shippers in Michigan, Nebraska, Kan
sas, eastern South Dakota, eastern
Colorado and Wyoming, indicate that
In most cases the dairymen are us
ing indefinite descriptive terms In
placing their orders, the bureau OF
agricultural economics, United States
Departures. of Agriculture, has an
nouneed.
General specifications In orders such
as good feeding alfalfa" choice"
or pea green leafy alfalfa" either
may be interpreted differently by ship
pers and buyers, or make possible de-
liberate Misrepresentation. the depart
ment says. In either case contrO-
versles and reflections often arise that
are costly to both shippers and buy
ers. Use of federal grades and In
spection are advocated to correct the
situation.
Dairymen require leafy well-cured
alfalfa with high protein content and
high palatability. Being unable to
obtain the quality of alfalfa wanted,
they frequently buy protein In the
form of mill feeds which are relative
ly high III price and which department
experts declare are not a complete
substitute In feeding for a protein
forage such as alfalfa.
The federal hay standards are based
upon definite color and foreign mate
rial Specifications, and, In case of al
falfa, for leafiness also. The grade
U. S. No. / Alfalfa means a type OF
hay that Is 90 per cent or more nat
ural green, 40 per cent leafy, and
which does not contain over s per cent
Of foreign material and B per cent
grasses. The specifications are def
mite and can be definitely interpreted
and applied by federal inspectors to
determine controversies and disputed
contracts. The grades portray def
mite type of hay commonly produced,
and provide d common language for
all people to use who produce, buy,
sell and feed hay.
Inspection of hay moving In inter-
state commerce is not compulsory un-
der such laws as prevail for grain, oil
though IS states have adopted the
federal standards as official state
standards. A federal hay inspection
service Is conducted by cooperation
with many states. commercial *
changes, shippers organizations, and
farm bureaus, on a voluntary basis,
the Department Of Agriculture main
tanning supervisors offices at Wash
ington, D. c., Atlanta. Chicago, Kan
sas City, Salt Lake City, and San
Francisco.
Direct shipments Of alfalfa to dairy
men In Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, In
diana. Ohio and Minnesota have been
made possible under United States
standards and federal inspection from
Kansas City; Chicago; Powell. Wyo.;
Garden City, Kan; and Lexing-
ton and Kearney, Neb.. where fed
eral hay inspectors are located and
where hay dealers and cooperating
marketing associations will take or
ders on the basis Of federal grades.
The grades of alfalfa best suited
to dairy feeding are u. s. No. / Al
falfa and U. S. No. 2 Alfalfa (Leafi-
ness good enough for U. s. No. ~.
Orders based on these definite grades
with request that a federal hay Ger
tl1cate shall be attached to the In
voice by the shipper will assure the
delivery Of good hay. Should q dis
pute arise a federal inspector may
be called In to determine the facts.
Information about federal hay In
spection and hay supplies may be OBJ
tained from Federal Supervisors. e. 0.
Pollock, 1913 Genesee street, Kansas
City, Mo-; III. II. Whiteside, room
1909, 139 North Clark street, Chicago,
ILL.,, and also from County Agricultural
Agents, A. r. Hecht of Lexington,
Neb.; ]. l.. Worell, Keapney, Neb.,
and Il. A. Chisholm. Cody, Wyo.