PART SECOND. 



Feeding Beets to Cattle. 



Preliminary IT frequently happens that the beet crop is very large, due to 

 remarks, careful cultivation, or to neglect. In the latter case the roots 

 are big, and cannot be advantageously used at the factory. If 

 these are left on the hands of the farmer as is frequently the 

 case he becomes discouraged, and hesitates to renew his efforts 

 at sugar-beet cultivation. If, on the other hand, he can find a 

 profitable use for his roots as feed, he will consider beets from 

 an entirely different standpoint. On several farms to which the 

 writer's attention has been called, beets have been fed to cattle, 

 and the fact has now become a source of trouble to the manu- 

 facturer. 



In these cases, the farmers argue that they can make more 

 money by feeding direct than by selling roots to the factory, 

 with the idea of subsequently utilizing the refuse pulp (?). 



Many farmers throughout the country are willing to contract 

 to grow small areas of beets and to subsequently use the roots 

 for cattle-feeding; the results have been most satisfactory to all 

 interested. Capitalists can form some idea of what the chances 

 are for a satisfactory crop of beets in any given vicinity, and the 

 farmer, in the meantime, is gaining experience with this special 

 crop at no money loss to himself. The advantages that have 

 followed the introduction of a succulent ration with corn have 

 long since been recognized everywhere in Continental Europe. 



In an emergency, beets may be used for feeding cattle, but 

 it is a mistake to suppose that more money is to be made from 

 milk and flesh by feeding roots direct than is possible by use of 

 the product after sugar has been extracted. It is also a mistake 

 to imagine that large beets* give the best results; it is unneces- 



*The total dry matter contained in roots diminishes with their size. Sugar 

 beets are very poor in nitrogen, but their percentage of dry matter is com- 



(64) 



