The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1953-11-17
Specialists Discuss
Emergency Feed
At Area Meetings
In Buckingham,
Prince Edward.
Amelia, Powhatan

anu Ups Oh leeQ pTOQuCClON Wne0
1t does rain were outlined by VPI
Agricultural Extension Service
specialists at recent meetings in
Farmville and surrounding coun-
ties
One hundred farmers from
Cumberland and Prince Edward
counties attended the meeting in
Farmville, last week. in the Circuit
Courtroom Of Prince Edward
Courthouse.
Meetings like the one held in
Farmville were also held in Pow
hatan. Amelia, Buckingham and
Charlotte counties.
Year-Round Program
G. r. Epperson. of VPIs Agro-
nomy Staff. told the farmers in
Farmville that the severe drought
this year re-emphasizes the need
for developing year-round feed
program on every farm, using a
combination of mixtures which
provide adequate pasture during
the grazing season and furnish
high quality hay and silage for
the winter feeding period.
Specifically. his suggestions
were: TopdresS alfalfa. pasture
and hay crops during the rest Of
this fall. winter Or early spring
and topdress small grains intended
for silage, hay or grain with nitro
gen for early spring grazing. Use
cover crops for grazing-boost the
carrying capacity by applying 80
to so pounds of nitrogen per acre
in January or February.
Seed winter oats for grazing.
silage, hay or grain as soon after
Feb as the land can be prepared.
OverSeed poor stands or lost
stands of small grain with winter
or spring oats, Mr. Epperson said.
Seed spring oats for silage hay
or grain, and seed sweet sudan
grass for midsummer grazing.
silage or hay, he said.
Substitutions
x c. Williamson, animal hus-
bandman from VPI. outlined ways
livestock men can make certain
substitutions. and how they can
stretch the winter feed supply.
The "stretchers" he mentioned
include:
Oh meal-proteln improves di-
geStion and saves feed. A rule of
thumb is to use 10 pounds of oil
neal to each 100 pounds Of farm
grains where hay is fair. With
top quality hay in abundance. oil
meal is unnecessary.
Molasses-three pounds equal
two pounds Of corn for winter
ing. At $50 a ton molasses is equal
to S75-a-ton corn. With molasses,
more poor roughages will be eat
en-.
Purdue supplement A-When fed
with hay Purdue Supplement A is
no better than ordinary oil meal,
so use the cheapest. The more
complex supplement is necessary,
though. with straw and cobS.
Craze Honeysuckle
HoneySuckle = Craze it. but
usually it VIII take additional feed
Pellets - easier fed in small
quantities than meal: reduce loss
from wind blowing.
MI. Williamson said also that
where half enough or more hay is
available. its lack can be made up
by substituting one pound Of grain
for two and one half to four
pounds Of hay. The minimum
roughage needs are seven pounds
Of hay per COW. or three pounds
per calf each day. but silage can
be used at the rate of three
pounds of silage equaling one
pound of hay
He emphasized that the greatest
feeding saving of all will come
from killing lice, grubs, and in
ternai parasites.
Dairy Farmers
r. Ct. Connolly. Of VPI's Dairy
Department. said dairy farmers
may need to feed more grain feeds
to supplement their home supply
of roughages. In some cases it may
pay to buy limited amounts Of top
quality legume hay to be doled
out TO the COWS through the WIN
- ga, sci, ln
with needed vitamlns. minerals
and proteinS essential to health
and dairy production.
He had the specific suggestions:
Gull the herd to avoid wasting
feed. Salvage and preserve all
drought damaged forage to re-
ducc the amounts of forage that
must be purchased.
Feed In Barn
Extend the supply of inferior
forage by chopping it and adding
molasses to the forage when fed.
Feed all roughage in the barn.
Rack feeding is WaStetul.
Estimate your feed needs close
~. Try to include at least a small
amount of good quality hay in
each COWS daily ration. Feed at
least one and one-half pounds of
hay equivalent forage per 100
pounds Of COW daily. Three pounds
of silage or three quarters pound
of concentrates is equivalent to
one pound of hay in nutrients
supplied