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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1915)
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION 3 Feeding Sheep on Wasted Fodder IT would be greatly Interesting to know, Qov.ld It be known, how much mutton could be produced from fodders that now are wasted because they are not utilized. In this dis cussion those fodders only will be considered that grow up In the un fenced fields of the Northwestern states. Two obstacles are In the way. One Is that the lands as a rule are not fenced, and the other Is that the grain shocks are oftentimes left In the fields for weeks after the grain is cut, and because of the presence of the Bhocks, sheep cannot have ac cess to the field. This means that the weeds and other vegetation along with the num erous grain heads lost In harvesting are not utilized. In other words, the food that would maintain not fewer than say, 10,000,000 for two months in that state Is virtually lost. In South Dakota the same would be at least measurably true. In Mon tana the loss would not be so much, for the reason that the area devoted to the growing of grain is much less, but the lqss In Montana is material. Loss in Washington. But in no place is this loss greater relatively than in the Big Bend coun try In Washington. There the Rus sian thistles, grow to perfection. There It Is that they take complete possession of the land where they are not combated, to the virtual ex clusion of all kinds ot crops. Of course, sheep in common with other kinds of stock, will not touch Rus sian thistles after the prickles have been really formed on the plants, but at an earlier period sheep will feed upon them and to the extent of keeping them in check, so that their presence will do but little harm. Summer Forage. This means that the tumbling mustard, Russian thistles and Win ter rye and Winter wheat pastures would carry sheep through the sea son from March 1st to the early Autumn months. Now if Winter rye were sown say, In May, nnd if Squaw corn were grown, would not these two carry the sheep through the Autumn months and prepare those fbr the market that were to be sold? There would still be one problem to solve. How would the breeding flocks be maintained during the two or three months of Winter when Bnow is on the ground? Will not the growth of wheat hay answer this question at the present time? In the near future It will probably be answered by the growth of sweet clover or alfalfa hay. In Big Bend. These references bring up the question, will it pay to grow sheep on those lines In the Big Bend coun try? That can only be worked out by actual test. Suppose a section of land were enclosed with fence. Suppose It was stocked with sheep, suppose It was divided In say, three parts.. One part would provide Spring and early Summer pasture, a second part would provide finish ing pasture, and a third part Win ter food. Would such an arrangement pay? It should pay. Each acre of such land should support at least an ewe and her lamb for a year. This would mean that 640 acres would maintain 640 ewes and 640 lambs. The wool from the ewes should pay the wage bill. Profit Estimates. This would leave the lambs for profit. Six hundred and forty lambs would mean at $4.50 each a return of $2380, or a rental of $4.50 per acre. Suppose this were cut In two, It would represent a rental ot $2.50 per acre which would be 6 per cent on land valued at a little more than $40 per acre. From these returns, however, there would have to be de ducted the cost of fencing the land. But not more than one-tenth of the cost should be charged against each year's expenditure, as a fence will built in such ah area should last for not-less than 10 years. If these estimates are correct, why would it not be a wise thing in the Big Bend country to grow sheep? Can wheat be made to pay better? The sheep would call for less labor. They would enrich the land, and they would prevent the abominable weeds from going to seed. They would also stop soil drifting. Why would not such a system of farming be bet ter than the growing of wheat? THE GEORGE GOGGLE! is Worn and Indorsed by Automobllists Hunters Golfers Fishermen Baseball Players Motorcyclists LaborerjJ Engineers Firemen Farmers Mill Workers Stonecutters Harvesters Threshers llotormert Three Colors: CT.EAR SMOKED AMBER No Equal at Any Price Protect your eyes from sun, wind, dust and injury AiitoDiatlcnlly adjusts to your face. Flexible Will bend but not break. Protection No danger from broken glass. Foil Vinton Unobstructed; will not toe;. Non-Kef racted Prevents any eye strain. Sanitary No felt to sweat. Feather-Welght Weifchs less than 1-6-ounee. Mailed Postpaid for 25 CenU. Dealer Wanted. Commerce -Utility Corporation 413 Panama Building, Portland, Oreeon. I if lrl I I! IIS 'J One Months Irial 1 union free. Metro nome for Teachine Time. 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The land Is worth from $500 to $1000 an acre, jet the Hollanders pay renla and interest on the Invest ment by producing butter and cheese, which they place in the European markets In successful competition with that produced in America on land of scarcely compar able value. The secret is: Efficient cows, ex cellent rare, co-oporation and super ior quality of butter and cheese. On a 60-acre farm in Holland the livestock usually consists of about 22 cows, 9 heifers, 40 sheep, 16 pigs and one or two horses. About 24 acres Is niendow and the rest pasture, as dairying Is on a strictly grass basis. Few fields are larger than five acres, and the cows are fre quently changed from one pasture to another, so the grass may be re newed. Cow Selection. Only a few choice bulls are kept for sires and the greatest care la ex ercised In selecting females. The cows are selected by a three-fold method: First, In the sire; second, In the young calf, judged largely by the milking qualities of the mother; and, lastly, the greatest of all tests Is ap plied, performance at pall. Not till, the cow answers this satisfactorily Is she accorded a permanent place In the dairy. ..Mr. Kuperas, a leading Friesland dairyman, has nu extepyonally fine herd of red and white Ilolsteln-Frle-slans and keeps a careful record of each cow by testing the milk every two weeks. The average yield of 30 of his best cows for one year was 11,275 pounds of milk and 394 pounds of butter fut. The average lactation period was 300 days and no cow was milked more than one year. In Friesland there are 3200 cow testing associations of 12 mem bers each. The Winter grain ration consists Almost entirely of, oil cake, fed only to the heavy milkers in quantities of from two to four pounds a day. The principal feed, however, is hay, each cow receiving 30 pounds dally. 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