WILL MORE FORAGE PAY? 



Economic Aspects of Using More Pasture 

 and Forage on Farms 



Prepared in the Bureau of Agricultural Economics 



CONTENTS 



Page 

 Introduction 1 



Feed supplies and their utiliza- 

 tion 3 



A report of progress 8 



Summary of preliminary find- 

 ings. _1 - 10 



Procedure and method 14 



Northern States — preliminary 



findings 15 



Technical possibilities for the 



production of forages 15 



Technical possibilities for util- 

 ization of forages 17 



Economic possibilities for pro- 

 ducing and utilizing forages 

 in selected farming systems- 22 



Tentative conclusions 36 



Page 

 Southern States — preliminary 



findings 37 



New systems of forage utiliza- 

 tion at southern experiment 

 stations 37 



New systems of forage utiliza- 

 tion on southern farms 42 



Production practices in relation 



to forage production 53 



Tentative conclusions 54 



Western States — preliminary 



findings 56 



Problems in extending forage 

 use in Great Plains farming 

 systems 56 



Increasing forage production 



on range lands in the West__ 68 



Irrigated pasture and range 76 



Tentative conclusions 79 



INTRODUCTION 1 



Much is being done to explore the possibilities of increasing indus- 

 trial utilization of both the basic and the waste products of agricul- 

 ture. Less spectacular yet of as great, if not greater, significance are 

 the possibilities in increased utilization of farm products on the farm. 

 Wherever it is feasible to substitute forage crops on acres now produc- 

 ing corn, cotton, or wheat and to utilize them profitably through live- 

 stock, opportunities exist for combating the threat of surplus pro- 

 duction of these crops. Adjustments of this type also work toward 

 improving the national diet, conserving soil resources, and lending 

 greater stabilit} T to farm incomes. 



Those interested in either on-farm or off-farm utilization of farm 

 products are faced with essentially these questions: (1) Is the pro- 

 posed means of utilization technically feasible^ (2) Will it pay the 

 individual producer \ and (3) Will it be to the advantage of the United 

 States as a whole ? 



Xew industrial products derived from an agricultural source must 

 compete both in performance and in price with those derived from 



1 This report was prepared as part of a study which has been supported by 

 funds appropriated under authorization of the Research and Marketing Act. 



