tailieunhanh - Agriculture for Beginners - Chapter 12

CHAPTER XII MISCELLANEOUS SECTION LXIV. GROWING FEED STUFFS ON THE FARM Economy in raising live stock demands the production of all "roughness" or roughage materials on the farm. By roughness, or roughage, of course you understand that bulky food, like hay, grass, clover, stover, etc | CHAPTER XII 124 CHAPTER XII MISCELLANEOUS SECTION LXIV. GROWING FEED STUFFS ON THE FARM Economy in raising live stock demands the production of all roughness or roughage materials on the farm. By roughness or roughage of course you understand that bulky food like hay grass clover stover etc. is meant. It is possible to purchase all roughage materials and yet make a financial success of growing farm animals but this certainly is not the surest way to succeed. Every farm should raise all its feed stuffs. In deciding what forage and grain crops to grow we should decide 1. The crops best suited to our soil and climate. 2. The crops best suited to our line of business. 3. The crops that will give us the most protein. 4. The crops that produce the most. 5. The crops that will keep our soil in the best condition. 1. The crops best suited to our soil and climate. Farm crops as every child of the farm knows are not equally adapted to all soils and climates. Cotton cannot be produced where the climate is cool and the seasons short. Timothy and blue grass are most productive on cool limestone soils. Cowpeas demand warm dry soils. But in spite of climatic limitations Nature has been generous in the wide variety of forage she has given us. Our aim should be to make the best use of what we have to improve by selection and care those kinds best adapted to our soil and climate and to secure by better methods of growing and curing the greatest yields at the least possible cost. 2. The crops best suited to our line of business. A farmer necessarily becomes more or less of a specialist he gathers those kinds of live stock about him which he likes best and which he finds the most profitable. He should on his farm select for his main crops those that he can grow with the greatest pleasure and with the greatest profit. Illustration FIG. 275. FILLING THE BARN WITH ROUGHAGE FROM THE FARM The successful railroad manager determines by practical experience what distances his engines and .