OCR Text |
Show IT IS POSSIBLE TO REDUCE FEED BILLS The high price of commercial feeds Indicates that farmers can well afford to give more attention to more and better home-grown feeds. This statement comes from the New York State College of Agriculture with the suggestion that the dairy farmer might well turn toward the production produc-tion of those roughages which will reduce feed costs. Protein In the form of high protein feeds, they say, Is extremely expensive. expen-sive. The amount of gluten feed, cottonseed meal, and linseed oQmeal ordinarily purchased can be reduced by the production of roughage rich In protein, such as alfalfa and'cloyer.' Heavy grain feeding Is ulsoexfTen-' sive, and the quantity of grain ftfl can be lowered by growing roughages of high feeding value. Alfalfa and clover will produce more protein and more total digestible nutrients to the acre that Is, more milk or meat to the acre, for example than will timothy. Experiments Bhow that lack ot mineral matter may frequently be the limiting factor In growing young stock, and In milk production. This applies especially to lime and phosphorus phos-phorus which are essential elements of both bone and milk. Phosphorus can be obtained In large quantities from wheat feeds, cottonseed meul, and linseed oil meal. Lime, however,' must be obtained from roughages, arid here agnln roughages rich In lime enable en-able live stock to make more efficient use of all the grain fed. Timothy has 2.S pounds of lime in 1,000 pounds, red clover has 10 pounds, and alfalfa has 10.5 pounds. The production of legumes means an Increase In the feeding value of home-grown feeds, end where heed is given to the greater content of digestible di-gestible nutrients In rations, reduction reduc-tion In feed costs results. Lime In fairly large amounts is usually required to produce legumes successfully, but the cost and trouble of-applying lime Is more than counter-balanced by the Increased fertility the legume, add to the soil. |