WILL MORE FORAGE PAY? 63 



rotation represents another means of profitable utilization of forage 

 on excess wheat land in the northern Plains. The advantages of using 

 crested wheat grass in rotation with crops in the northern Plains 

 appears to be duplicated in the southern Plains through the use of 

 native grasses in rotation, according to investigations conducted at 

 Woodward, Okla., by the United States Southern Great Plains Field 

 Station. 



GRASS AND LEGUMES IN THE EASTERN PLAINS 



In much of the main corn-producing areas of the eastern portion of 

 the Great Plains, rainfall is relatively high and the topography 

 rolling. The present land use pattern includes large acreages of 

 intertilled crops. All of these factors accentuate soil damage from 

 water erosion. Inclusion of grasses for pasture and hay as feed for 

 livestock has helped to maintain soil fertility, improve soil structure, 

 prevent erosion, and stabilize income. 



Illustrating the types of problems encountered in shifting from the 

 customary production of cash grain and hogs to that of forage crops 

 and their utilization through livestock is a farm in southeastern 

 Nebraska that formerly was badly eroded (table 15). In 1936 the 

 operator initiated a program of grassland farming and began shifting 

 from a rotation which had consisted mainly of corn, wheat, and oats 

 to one in which major emphasis was placed on bromegrass and alfalfa 

 for hay and pasture. Under the former farm plan this operator kept 

 7 brood sows and milked 6 cows. Now he raises no hogs and milks 14 

 cows. Shifting to grassland farming involved the enlargement and 

 improvement of the dairy barn at a cost of approximately $1,000. based 

 on high-level prices. He also bought a milking machine. Number of 

 chickens kept and raised remained the same for both farm plans. 

 Production of butterfat per cow is assumed to remain the same, 160 

 pounds per head, under each plan. 



As table 15 indicates, net cash income with the high price level would 

 remain approximately the same when shifting from the former to the 

 present plan, even though the acreage in the farm is reduced by the 

 sale of 3 acres for roads and by not renting 40 acres of pasture. With 

 the medium level, however, the income decreased $54 in shifting to 

 more grass and more milk cows. Cash expenses decreased under both 

 price levels ; 11 percent under the high level and around 9 percent under 

 the medium level. 



Farmers within this area apparently can increase their production 

 of forage without undue sacrifice in income. Soil productivity and 

 hence land values have been increased. Yields of corn on this farm 

 increased from 20 to 35 bushels per acre. The previous severe soil 

 losses from erosion have been reduced to a minimum. Moreover, if 

 this shift had not been made and the previous farming practices which 

 encourage erosion had been continued, crop yields and land values 

 would have decreased instead of increasing. Some such type of con- 

 servation and livestock farming must be established and maintained if 

 farming is to be continued in the area, inasmuch as many of these soils 

 will not withstand continuous cropping systems of farming. Increases 

 in production of butterfat should not affect the broad market structure 

 for this product to an appreciable degree. On the other hand, if many 

 farmers turn to production of whole milk in this area with its limited 

 market, milk prices would probably be lowered. 



