6 FORAGE CROPS. 



swine than to furnish the same for cattle and horses, 

 since the tramping of the latter, while grazing, leads 

 to a greater percentage of waste in the pasture. 

 Nevertheless, some of these pasture crops may be 

 grown with great advantage by dairymen, more 

 especially in the prairie country west of the 

 Mississippi. 



The Possible Outcome. When farmers gener- 

 ally who live upon arable lands give that attention to 

 the growing of this class of forage crops which they 

 ought to, from the standpoint of self-interest, no 

 limit can be set to the possible increase in live stock 

 and live stock products. More especially will this be 

 true when they give that attention also to the grow- 

 ing of soiling and fodder crops which their impor- 

 tance demands. In those encouraging days that are 

 drawing near, the production in these lines that will 

 be obtained from small areas would astonish many 

 of the farmers of to-day. And the increase will no 

 less apply to the quantity than to the quality of the 

 product, because of the suitable character of the food 

 furnished, because of its seasonableness and because 

 of its abundance. When nearly one hundred sheep 

 can be pastured from the closing days of April to the 

 opening days of November on ten acres of such 

 forage, as was done in 1897 at the Minnesota Uni- 

 versity experiment farm, the possibilities in live stock 

 production in our republic light up with a peculiar 

 brightness. When it is remembered that the soil was 

 sandy, that the subsoil was sand or gravel or a mix- 

 ture of the two, that the land had been but feebly 

 fertilized, the brightness grows more radiant. And 

 when it is called to mind that 10.33 tons of cured 

 fodder and 10.39 tons f soiling food were also taken 



