Salt Lake County Farm Bureau News, 1917-1922;

              Farm Bureau News
SALT   LAKE   COUNTY
Volume 1.
SANDY, UTAH, AUGUST, 1917.
Number 1.
THE SILO.
By Ben R. Eldredge
The Silo has won its place as a
factor in livestock farming in  Utah.
High price of hay during the past
■winter has stimulated interest in the
cow's cork cask and already operations have begun in Emery, Washington and Iron Counties, for a campaign of silo building. In March three
sets of silo forms were made in a
boiler shop in Salt Lake City and
1917 will witness more silo building in
Utah than has occurred in all its
previous history, and in some parts
of the state unused water cisterns are
being repaired for filling later in the
season with one of the most economical cattle feeds known to agriculture
—Corn Silage.
Why did we not know more about
silage years ago if it is such a good
thing ?
In the days of cheap lucerne we
thought we had the world beaten to
standstill so far as cattle feed was
concerned, and we were just a little
opinionated about any other fed ever
being poduced that would deserve our
serious attention. Those days of cheap
lucerne are gone into history and a
condition confronts us today bristling with twenty dollar lucerne and
prices on all other feeds sharpened
in  proportion.
We are looking for something to
cheapen the feed bill and the silo is
the biggest thing in sight.
One man in Richmond, Cache
County, sums up his experience for
one year this way: "Well, I didn't
know anything about the silo, but we
had to do something and building a
silo was recommended. We built one
of cement concrete monolithic construction. It was 12x32 and we filled
it with corn silage co-operating with
some neighbors all the way through.
My silo filled—silo and silage cost me
about $500.00 and it has aved me this
winter all of that on my feed bill.
We will build a lot of them at Richmond this year."
Reports have come in of good yields
of silage corn per acre, showing prog
ress in method of raising the crop.
On Cherry Hill Dairy Farm near
Provo a yield of over 26 tons per acre
was made, which is the best yield yet
authentically reported, for the State.
Yields of 16 tons are common in Utah,
Salt Lake and Davis Counties, while
the yield in Cache County may have
been a little lighter though some very
good yields are made there where a
few years ago we were told corn was
not a paying crop at all.
We have spoken so much about corn
silage that people sometimes think it
is the only crop that can be used for
silage.
There are many—Kaffir, Milo, some
sorghums, oats and peas or almost
any of the grains; but corn is the
great staple silage crop and the corn
plant supplements the lucerne so
splendidly that for feeding in combination with lucerne hay there is
none better than corn silage. These
together form a balance in the roughage ration that, according to our
present knowledge, is unexcelled.
SELECT SEEDS NOW FOR NEXT
YEAR'S CROP.
The   price   of   Dairy  products   is
| lower considering food value than any
other commodity on the market.   The
j market milk dealers are selling their
products  at the  same  common   price
: that existed when feeds and labor
were about half what they are now.
| The condensed milk companies have
almost doubled the price of their product to the consumer while they are
paying   the   farmer   very   few   cents
; more than they have in the past. The
price of butter and cheese have advanced materially and is holding
strong. A shortage of food products
and excessive demand for men makes
labor and feed almost out of reason.
The high price of meat is calling a
great many dairy cows to the block
thus threatening a shortage of Dairy
products. With organized effort we
can protect ourselves. Are you in
favor of some action ?
We all remember vividly our mad
rush for farm seeds last spring. The
call came for increased crop production and there was very little real seed
to be found. Farmers had to use any
old stuff to plant. Our'average yield
this year will be materially less than
it would have been had we planted
number one seed. This can all be
avoided with the 1918 crop if we act
now.
Every farmer should see to it that
the very best is selected and carefully
stored for next year's seeding. Don't
wait til seeding time and have to use
what is left. Do it now. Your best
time and place is just at harvest, in
the field, while the plants are still
standing.
Winter wheat and barley are now
ready to work on in the earlier sections. We should begin with these
crops and continue until the potato
crop is ready for harvest.
Well selected seed should be carefully stored. A moderately dry, well
ventilated place is essential for best
results. Potatoes must also be kept
from freezing and infection in filthy
pits.
Call on your Farm Bureau Committee and County Agent for assistance.
R. . EVANS
State Leader of County Agents.
TRY GRANDMOTHER'S METHODS
OF DRYING VEGETABLES   .
LET NOTHING SPOIL.
Heat, dirt, improper handling, flies,
insects, rats and mice are the greatest food wasters.
Producing food is only half the job.
Food which isn't needed now must
be saved for the future.
To waste food any time is indefensible; this year it is little short of
criminal.
Most vegetables and fruits are
largely water, and it is the water that
makes   them   spoil   easily.
Drive off the water by drying and
save the real food.
It will keep perfectly in a paper
box.
You can draw on your spigot or well
bucket for the water when you need
it, and make appetizing food.
Your grandmother dried vegetables
and fruits before canning was known.
If you can't get cans or jars at reasonable prices, practice the methods
Grandmother found good.