Laurel outlook., 1944-10-04
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Feeds and
Succeed
BY JACK MAYNARD
observation-disclosures
JUST WHAT ARE BEET TOPS
WORTH?
JACK MAYNAR]


That's a question in the mind O.
many farmers and feeders RICH
now and deserves careful considera
ton, for the value of beet tops de
ponds on several things. For in
stance, the value of tops depends
on the care they receive at harvest
time, and there is also the matter
of considering what they are worth
to the farmer who grows them OF
to the livestock feeder who buys
them. Their value of course also
depends on the current prices of
grain and hay.
The most dependable method for
figuring the value of tops is to
know just how much grain and hay
is saved by the tops from a ton of
beets. Such figures are available
from the many feeding experiments
conducted at western experiment
stations where tops have been cur
ed and dried in the field and then
fed with grain and hay to cattle
and lambs. A summary of these
records has shown that in 81 sep
arate experiments the tops from a
ton of beets have actually saved or
replaced 46 pounds of corn and
$50 pounds of alfalfa hay.
These figures show that in the
past, with corn at 81 per cwt. and
hay at Sc per ton, the tops
from a ton of beets handled and fed
in the above manner were worth
81 cents. Naturally, with increased
prices for grain and hay, tops will
have a correspondingly higher cash
value which can easily be determ-
med by figuring the cost of DC
of corn and $50 pounds of
hay at current prices for grain and
hay. For instance, with corn at
S1.50 per cwt. and alfalfa at S12
per ton, tops from a ton of beets
should be worth $1.59 based on the
feed they would replace, and with
,orn at 50 per cwt. and alfalfa hay
at $18 per ton, tops should be worth
1927 per ton of beets.
The question naturally follows:
If tops were worth 81 cents with
81 corn and Sc hay, why were they
purchased by feeders during
his period at 35 cents to As cents
per ton of beets?" The answer is
hat the man buying tops naturally
wants to purchase them at some
profit and being uncertin as to the
ARE they will receive after harvest
will naturally discount their cost to
,ffset possible losses in feeding
due to continued exposure. On
he other hand, the true replace
nent value of the tops as shown
~ these experiments provides a
estimate of their true
worth to the grower who is prepar-
d to dry and stack them properly
md who plans to feed them him
elf. Present prices for grain and
lay should be a real incentive to-
yard giving them the best possible
are.
While it is generally customary
o value tops on the basis of beet
onnage, it is sometimes desirable
o know the value of dried tops per
on. Each ton of we'll dried tops
obtaining approximately 70% dry
(the amount of tops pro-
uced from seven tons of beets)
hould have, according to these ex-
a feeding value equal to
% pounds of corn and 1,050 pounds
f alfalfa hay. In the past with
orn at 81 per cwt. and hay at Sc
ton, this ton of dried tops was
'orth $6.37. With corr at $1.50
nd alfalfa at $12 it should be
.orth $11.13 and with corn at So 4:
nd alfalfa hay at $18 it should be
orth $3.50. /:
what are beet tops worth ?"
ops at current market prices har- f.:
ested with the same care given hay /:
IN provide the cheapest source of f:
vestock feed on the farm while 4:
lie worth of tops left lying in the /:
Ill 1xo-N L. x~z-- - 9