FORAGE CROPS IN NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. 49 



The possibility of root crops for winter forage has not attracted very 

 general attention in the United States, owing principally to the 

 relatively large proportion of handwork incident to their culture and 

 use. Nevertheless, they make an excellent quality of succulent feed 

 particularly suited to the needs of dairy cows. Furthermore, root 

 crops, especially mangels, produce a good tonnage even under condi- 

 tions of very low rainfall, and because of this, by selecting favorable 

 locations, such as low-lying land, it is possible to produce enough 

 succulent feed for the family cows during the winter. If there are chil- 

 dren in the family, the expenditure of cash for the handwork on a small 

 area of root crops may be reduced to an unimportant item. Certainly 

 root crops can scarcely be expected to play a large part in any farming 

 system in the drier parts of the northern Great Plains, but their per- 

 formance in these sections during exceedingly dry years suggests their 

 regular utilization in a small way. It is the small, easily managed, 

 dependable feature that must be given consideration in connection 

 with farming under the precarious conditions incident to low rainfall. 

 Root crops seem to be such a feature. 



IMPROVEMENT OF RANGES AND PASTURES. 



Most of the investigations conducted at the various points named in 

 this bulletin have related chiefly to the growing of hay and fodder. 

 This feature of the forage problem is of much greater importance than 

 the improvement of ranges and pastures. Pasturage in the main has 

 not been so great a limiting factor in livestock production in the 

 northern Great Plains as have hay and fodder, but there has been 

 much need for attention to the pastures and ranges with a view to 

 developing means of increasing their carrying capacity and of making 

 grazing more dependable. 



Three principal lines of experimentation have suggested them- 

 selves: (1) Various systems of grazing, including fencing of the 

 range, light and heavy grazing, alternate grazing, and deferred 

 grazing; (2) cultural treatment, including cultivation by means of 

 the disk or harrow accompanied or unaccompanied by the sowing of 

 seed of pasture plants; and (3) the introduction of range plants from 

 other countries. Some work has been done along these three lines, but 

 the results thus far have not been highly encouraging. Probably the 

 most hopeful line is that involving the introduction of plants from 

 abroad. Introduced species have contributed immeasurably to the 

 range resources of California and other parts of the West. Some of 

 these species, although regarded as weeds, make good grazing plants. 

 They are annuals and spread rapidly because of their excellent seed 

 habits and also because of the impetus resulting from their new envi- 

 ronment. There are many range plants which are superior to the 

 weedy annuals in the quality of the forage they produce, but the latter 

 fill a much needed place in droughty years when the better grazing 

 plants succumb to the unfavorable conditions. 



SILAGE. 



The possibilities of the silo as a means of storing forage for indefinite 

 periods have been given a great deal of attention. From exhaustive 

 research and experiments conducted by the Office of Forage- Crop 

 Investigations it has been shown conclusively that palatable and at 



