Ailnerican Agriculturist, January G, 1923 
11 
'Legumes Cut Grain Bills 
Are Farmers Cutting Milk Yield?—By H. H. Lyon 
T hese wintry days dairymen are in 
some cases at least thinking of ways 
I to reduce the amount of feeds it is nec¬ 
essary to purchase. There are many 
who find that it is necessary to buy the 
grain feeds on account of the cost of 
hired labor to grow grains. Some of 
these grew corn silage, but not all. Many 
are adding on clover somewhat and are 
thus tending to reduce the amount of 
grain feeds purchased. In a few cases 
alfalfa is grown or is being considered. 
In our strictly dairy districts alfalfa is 
not easily grown. There are many who 
have tried it who feel that it is too 
difficult a crop to spend time on. Others 
have come to the same conclusion by 
watching neighbors try it out. 
In an occasional case men say that 
alfalfa is too difficult to cure. All of 
these have their reasons and they know 
much about what they talk. Most of us 
who have tried it do not get the clear 
alfalfa and never feed it without some 
other roughage is also fed. It has 
always been my custom to sow both 
timothy and clover in small quantities 
with the alfalfa. The farm bureau 
agent is now advising to try it with no 
seed other than the clear alfalfa. I 
have seen one such field on our heavy 
loam hill farm that was a success but 
it was after considerable experience had 
been secured in growing it with other 
seeding. My thought is that the mixed 
seeding is more easily cured and is fully 
as safe a feed. 
A Question of Rotation 
On most of our heavy soils where dairy¬ 
ing is supreme there may be only about 
10 per cent of the farm that can readily 
be made to grow alfalfa. In certain 
cases it is found that these same acres 
are the ones wanted for silage com and 
that a rather short rotation needs to be 
kept for that. Many say that they can 
grow clover in the short rotation and 
perhaps get almost the same feeding 
value that could be obtained from 
alfalfa. I am not convinced that the 
clover crop is fully equal to alfalfa, but 
it is easier to get started and under 
such conditions as mentioned it may be 
the one to grow. 
In other instances a longer rotation 
is desirable and if the land can be made 
suitable I believe that the alfalfa is to 
be preferred to any attempt to use 
clover exclusively. In such cases I still 
have a preference for seeding with 
clover and timothy or other grasses. 
At the same time I have* advised a 
continuence of alfalfa alone where the 
agent has so advised and a start has 
been made. It is worth trying out more 
fully for the individual farmer on his 
own soil and for his conditions of feed¬ 
ing. The grasses volunteer quickly in 
the alfalfa lot and by giving the matter 
a trial one can determine which he likes 
best. The mixtures cure more readily 
and if the weather is bad a slightly 
later cutting still gets us a good feed. 
Good Planning Helps 
As stated, considerable of our hill 
land is not adapted to alfalfa and not 
all of it to corn and clover. By careful 
planning there will be sufficient clover 
and alfalfa to help cut quite a bit on 
the grain feed bill. It follows readily 
that both these need early cutting for 
best results. Frequently June is the 
time of rainy weather and the cutting 
is delayed. If there is no silo into which 
some of the clover may be cut in rainy 
times, the haying must be delayed if 
the rain comes as it frequently does in 
late June. That tends to make all the 
haying late. It goes without saying 
that early cut hay does much to lessen 
the grain bill. It may sound whimsical 
to discuss early haying in mid-winter 
but I have heard a few men talk it and 
I consider it a good time. We plan a 
good 'deal in winter 'for the coming 
summer. On a majority of our farms 
the alfalfa, clover and early cut hay 
stand the best chance for a cut in the 
feed bill of any line of planning that 
We have. 
Farmers Hesitate to Buy Grain 
A farmer drove up to a feed store a 
few days ago with his long wagon-box 
which were twenty or more sacks. 
He commenced to ask the price of feeds, 
then he talked about the price of milk. 
He said he hadn’t fed any grain all the 
fall and so far into the winter. He 
thought he should feed some grain 
although he is not milking fresh cows. 
It is the first time that he has failed to 
feed grain feeds as soon as the cattle 
go in the stable to remain and usually 
he feeds before that time. After con¬ 
sidering prices for a little while he 
drove off saying that he would wait a 
while before commencing to feed. 
I have heard of nothing quite like this 
case but I have heard of many who are 
feeding but little grain. I tried to 
check this up at the feed store but they 
in some cases insist that what they are 
selling about as common. Other dealers 
admit that farmers are not feeding 
nearly as much as in former years. It 
is a little difficult to determine exactly 
what the ratio is, but I fee] sure that 
less grain is fed and that less milk is 
being made this season than for some 
years. 
Reports as to the number of cows 
kept seem to differ also. It is possible 
that the number is somewhat less, but 
no great change can be found. 
Many of the farmers young and some 
older ones are off the farms now and 
working in shops. This may mean that 
there will be a little less produced in 
crops and milk, but many of these men 
will return in the spring to the farms 
and so we need not look for any big 
drop in production from this cause. 
While I am looking for a little decline 
in the amount of milk made next year, 
it is likely that only weather conditions 
will make any considerable change. 
Farmers generally insist that there 
ought to be less production but most 
of them are waiting for the other man 
to start the shortage and so it doesn’t 
seem to start. However with this con¬ 
tinual talk about lessening production 
it would seem as though the psychology 
of it might bring something in the way 
of results. 
ACTION NEEDED ON FILLED 
MILK BILL 
The Voigt bill forbidding Interstate 
Commerce in filled milk was passed by 
the House of Representatives last year 
after a great deal of work on the part 
of farmers and farm organizations. It 
is now before the Agricultural Com¬ 
mittee of the United States Senate. It 
is said that the Committee is not likely 
to report the bill out favorably. If this 
is the case, no action can be expected by 
Congress this year and all of the work 
by farmers on this important bill will 
haye been lost. Without doubt, the 
Voigt filled milk bill is one of the most 
necessary pieces of agricultural legis¬ 
lation from both the standpoint of dairy¬ 
men and consumers that has been up 
for consideration in a long time. 
Because there is huge profit in the 
manufacture of filled milk, the opposi¬ 
tion to the passage of the Voigt bill is 
very strong. To overcome this opposi¬ 
tion, will require the united and con¬ 
stant support of farmers. It is urged, 
therefore, that everyone reading this, 
write, or preferably telegraph immedi¬ 
ately to Senators Wadsworth, Calder, 
Norris, McKinley, Ladd and Kendricks 
urging favorable action on the Voigt 
bill. 
REMEDY FOR CALF SCOURS 
Ordinary scours in calves are a sim¬ 
ple digestive^ disorder, the result of 
carelessness in feeding. They should 
be attended to at once. Cut the feed in 
half and give a dose of caster oil 
{Vi pint). Clean and disinfect all 
utensils. 
White scours is a germ disease, and 
is usually fatal. Prevention methods 
constitute clean quarters for cows at 
calvng time, thoroughly disinfecting 
the calf’s navel at birth, and clean 
quarters for calves, with plenty of 
sunlight. 
A good remedy where calf scours are 
prevalent is as follows: 1 oz. Bismuth 
Subnitrate, Vz oz. Salol, 3 oz. Bicardon- 
ate of Soda. Give one teaspoonful of 
this mixture in % pint of milk three 
times daily. __ 
Hens ^H|^and cold better than 
dampne^^^^^^ 
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