Full text of Agricultural News Letter : Vol. 8, No. 4

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I
NEWS LETTER

F E D E R A L ___R E S E R V E___B A N K
Vol. 8, No. 4

OF

DALLAS, TEXAS

A

Tim ely H int

Last year’s drought emphasized the neces­
sity for dairymen to provide a reserve supply
of feed, and R. E. Burleson, dairy husband­
man for the Texas Agricultural Extension
Service, recommends that dairymen make
plans now for building these feed reserves.
As a guide in accumulating reserves, Mr.
Burleson suggests that the dairyman provide
at least 1 acre of sudan grass for summer
grazing, 6 tons of silage, and 2 tons of hay
for each cow in the dairy herd. This quantity
of feed should be sufficient for the next 12 to
15 months.
Silage ranks next to pasture as the best
and cheapest feed for the dairy herd. Mr.
Burleson points out that silage can be made
from almost any growing plant, including
grasses, corn, sorghums, and clovers. Among
the more productive crops for silage are
hegari, red top, and Atlas sorgo.
Silage can be stored satisfactorily in a
trench- or box-type, as well as upright, silo.
Trench silos have many advantages, in that
they are less expensive to construct and easier
to fill. Recommendations of experienced
farmers or county agricultural agents should
be followed in selecting the site for the trench
silo.
Many of the best dairymen in the South­
west are convinced that a good silage program
is essential to the success of their operations.

D A L L A S
April 15, 1953

to Dairymen

Surplus forage stored in the form of silage
provides a succulent, palatable feed that can
be stored for months, or even years, without
serious deterioration in quality. During the
drought last year, some dairymen opened silos
that had been filled as long as 3 or 4 years
and found the silage in excellent condition.

Use Supplemental Pastures
It may be difficult to get enthusiastic about
temporary pastures at this time of year, when
native grasses are furnishing an abundance of
grazing, but E. M. Trew, associate agronomist
for the Texas Agricultural Extension Service,
points out that now is the time to make plans
for green grazing during the hot, dry summer
months. He also points out that many of the
native grasses are in a weakened condition
because of last year’s drought and should be
given at least 6 weeks’ rest this spring.
Sudan grass is one of the favorite summer
pastures in the Southwest, and it is adapted
to all communities. Cowpeas can be planted
with sudan, and they will increase the total
amount of grazing and improve quality of the
feed.
Mr. Trew suggests that pastures be divided
so that rotation grazing can be practiced. The
amount of feed is increased and quality is im­
proved if livestock are confined to a relatively
small area each day and moved on to a fresh

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AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER

pasture frequently. If the plants get coarse,
they should be mowed to stimulate new
growth.
Liberal use of fertilizer is recommended,
in order to provide the maximum amount of
forage. Soil tests should be made to determine
fertilizer needs, or recommendations should
be obtained from local county agricultural
agents.
Fertilizer specialists point out that ammoni­
um sulphate is a satisfactory substitute for
ammonium nitrate, which has been in short
supply in many communities this spring. One
hundred fifty pounds of ammonium sulphate
will provide as much nitrogen as 100 pounds
of ammonium nitrate.

The protein content
of grasses and legumes
is highest in the younger
plants. When the seed
heads are formed, the
protein content drops
sharply, and hay produced from the older,
mature plants may contain only half as much
protein as that from plants harvested at the
proper stage of growth.
Mr. Miller suggests the following guides for
harvesting hay crops:
Sudan and Johnson grass should be cut as
soon as the first seed heads begin to form.
Soybeans may be harvested when the first
seed pods begin to ripen.
Alfalfa should be cut when the field is onetenth to one-fourth in bloom.

Beating the Drought
An example of how to lick the drought is
found on a Kaufman County, Texas, farm,
where 10 acres of sudan grass provided graz­
ing for 32 dairy cows from July 10 to Septem­
ber 12, 1952.
The field on which the sudan grass was
grown was in unproductive needle grass 5
years ago. At that time a program of soil
building was inaugurated, and the land was
planted to small grains and vetch and heavily
fertilized with about 400 pounds of fertilizer
per acre. A vetch seed crop was harvested in
1951, but when the seed crop failed in 1952,
the land was seeded to sudan grass.
During the period the field was grazed,
production from the 32 cows averaged 100
pounds per day higher than during the pre­
vious several weeks. Cash value of the pasture
for the 60-day period is estimated at $84 per
acre.

When to Cut Hay
The time that a forage crop is cut is a major
factor in determining the quality of hay pro­
duced, says E. A. Miller, Extension agronomist
of Texas A. 8b M. College.

Time to Spray Mesquite
During the past 2 or 3 years, hundreds of
acres of mesquite have been sprayed with
chemicals in an effort to eradicate this menace
to range lands. Results have varied from un­
satisfactory to almost a 100-percent kill and
practically no regrowth.
Time of application is one of the more im ­
portant factors in the success or failure of the
operation. A. H. W alker, Extension range
specialist of Texas A. 8b M. College, says that
the best time to apply spray is from 40 to 90
days after the first leaves appear in the spring.
In most areas it is advisable to make the ap­
plication prior to cotton planting time, since
the herbicides used will also kill broad-leaf
plants.
The most satisfactory spray available for
control of mesquite is 2-4-5T applied with
diesel oil and water. Large areas are most
easily covered by airplane sprayers, while
small areas around the ranch headquarters or
individual trees can be treated with a small
power sprayer.
Mr. Walker points out that it requires three
or four times as much water to produce a

AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER

pound of mesquite leaves or beans as it does
to produce a pound of grass. In areas where
mesquite has been killed or removed, the
grasses have shown a marked improvement;
in grazing tests, gains have been as much as
50 percent higher than on ranges heavily in­
fested with mesquite.

Get the Most fo r Your Timber
The experience of a Louisiana landowner
illustrates the value of applying good business
methods to marketing of timber. This landowner received a net return of more than $800
for some timber, compared with the first offer
of only $160.
The timber which was sold had been dam­
aged by fire, and a casual inspection suggested
that its only use would be for pulpwood. A
fair price of $160 for the pulpwood was offered
by a pulpwood buyer.
However, the landowner asked a profes­
sional forester to survey the damaged area,
and it was found that much of the timber was
suitable for small sawlogs. Trees were cut with
this in mind, and the net result was a return
of more than $800 to the landowner simply
because he took time to appraise the value
of the product he had to sell.

3

the experiment substation, approxim ately
eight seeds per foot of row must be planted, in
order to obtain a stand of four plants per foot.
This requires about 20 to 25 pounds of seed
per acre.
It should be pointed out that these results
apply only to the High Plains area of Texas
and may or may not be true for other areas.

Farm Storage Frequently
Profitable
Storing crops on the farm at the time of
harvest frequently pays good dividends, ac­
cording to C. H. Bates, farm management
specialist of the Texas Agricultural Extension
Service.
Mr. Bates points out that the price of many
crops is usually lowest at harvest time and
that the increase in price during the 6 or 8
months following harvest often will net the
farmer a substantial profit.
Proper storage facilities should be built if
the farmer plans to take advantage of this
usual seasonal increase in prices. Grains or
other commodities improperly stored may de­
teriorate rapidly, and the loss from such de­
terioration could easily offset any gain in price.

Cottonseed fo r the High Plains
Tests at the Texas Agricultural Experiment
Substation at Lubbock, Texas, show that fuzzy
cottonseed and machine- or chemically delinted cottonseed are equally satisfactory from
the standpoint of obtaining a good stand.

Financial assistance in building farm stor­
age facilities is available in most communities
through the Production and Marketing Ad­
ministration.

Tractor Safety Rules

Tests conducted during 1949-52 showed
virtually no difference in the stand obtained
where an adequate rate of seeding had been
used. It was found that about the same rate
of seeding, measured in pounds per acre, was
required for either the delinted or the fuzzy
seed to produce satisfactory stands.

Mefuel tractor only when motor is not run­
ning or extremely hot.

Some of the low planting rates recom­
mended for delinted seed failed to produce
satisfactory stands. According to the tests at

Exercise caution when drawing inflammable
liquid — avoid open flame or other sources
of ignition.

Check fuel lines frequently to avoid leaky
connections.
Always keep gasoline in a red container.

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AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER

One in a Million
It has been said that killing one fly in the
spring is equal to killing a million later in the
season.
Whether this is true or not, it does empha­
size the importance of starting the fly-control
program now. Neil Randolph, Extension ento­
mologist of Texas A. 8b M. College, reminds
us that sanitation is still the most important
factor in getting rid of flies. He suggests that
all trash and other breeding places around
the premises be cleaned up before warm
weather begins. Of course, garbage cans should
be kept tightly closed at all times.
After a thorough clean-up campaign the
spray program can be initiated. Mr. Randolph
recommends a 5-percent DDT solution for all
areas except around the dairy barn. Methoxychlor and lindane can be used where DDT is
not satisfactory. Also, Mr. Randolph suggests
chlordane if the flies develop resistance to
DDT.

Father-Son Agreem ents
One of the best ways to get started in farm­
ing is through a father-son agreement, says
C. H. Bates, Extension farm management
specialist of Texas A. & M. College.
A young man can no longer start farming
on a “shoe string” and hope to succeed, says
Mr. Bates, Hence, he must have assistance in
establishing his farming operation, and the
father-son arrangement is an excellent method
of giving such assistance. Moreover, it enables
the father to retire gradually from the farming
operation during the later years of his life.
Suggested plans for developing a father-son
farming operation can be obtained from county
agricultural agents and from many other agri­
cultural leaders in the community. The most
essential “ingredient” is an honest desire on
the part of both the father and the son to make
the arrangement succeed.

Publications
New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station,
State College:
1953 Cotton Insect Control Guide for New
Mexico, Circular 227, by Mike Swoboda.
Sorghum Production in New Mexico, B u l­
letin 371.
The Effect of Toxaphene and DDT on
Geese in Cotton Fields, Press Bulletin
1078, by J. R. Eyer and others.
Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station,
Stillwater:
Hybrid Corn Strains Recommended for
1953, Bulletin B-389, by James S. Brooks
and others.
Performance Tests of Corn Varieties and
Hybrids, 1952, Miscellaneous Publica­
tion MP-29, by Hartwill Pass and others.
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, C ol­
lege Station:
Use of Irrigation Water on the High Plains,
Bulletin 756, by C. A. Bonnen and others.
Mounting for Pre-Emerge Press WheelRollers and Sprayer Nozzles, Progress
Report 1520, by H. P. Smith and E. C.
Brown.
Effects of Concentrated Borascu and S o d ­
ium Chlorate on the Control of Bindweed,
Progress Report 1523, by R. D. Hamilton
and others.
Pre- and Post-Emergence Chemical T reat­
ment Combinations in Weeding Cotton,
Progress Report 1526, by H. E. Rea.
Forage Crop Variety Tests at Prairie View,
1951-52, Progress Report 1532, by Oliver
E. Smith and Ethan C. Holt.
Copies of the bulletins may be secured by
request to the publishers.
The Agricultural News Letter is prepared in
the Research Department under the direction
of C a r l H. M oore, Agricultural Economist.