Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-11-11 | Page 8 | Beet Tops as Hay are Urged

BEET TOPS SS l MEOflCED Palp and Molasses Also Good Forage, U. S. Experts Ex-perts Declare. Special o The- Tribune. WASHINGTON. Nov. 10. The sugar-beet sugar-beet grower can reduce his hay requirements require-ments by one-half by properly siloing beet tops and also making use of beet pulp and molasses. This Is the recent announcement of the United States department de-partment of agriculture, whose specialists have been investigating the question. Even the beet "tails" that accumulate at the sugar mills have a feeding alue that has been overlooked. In many parts of the beeT-growing districts dis-tricts of the west there is a hay shortage this season, by gathering beet tops, putting put-ting them hi a natural earth s.Io of proper construction, or Into a regular silo structure, struc-ture, a good stock feed that will reduce the hay requirement by one-half can be laid up for winter. It has been found that beet tops can to successfully siloed in Just a natural earth excavation or by stacking and packing above the surface. Feeding tests have shown the silage to have a feeding value equal to about 0 per cent of the value of hay when fed with a properly balanced ration. Beet-top Beet-top silage Is not a balanced ration and should be fed with alfalfa, clover or other legume hay. A Patlsfactory earth or pit silo can be made in a few hours by means of a team and scraper. The pit should be lined with straw and the top should be firmly packed and covered with beet pulp or earth to exclude the air.