Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 138, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 June 1920 — CROPS SUITABLE FOR PROVIDING FOWLS WITH VARIOUS ESSENTIAL GREEN FEEDS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CROPS SUITABLE FOR PROVIDING FOWLS WITH VARIOUS ESSENTIAL GREEN FEEDS

(Prepared by the United State* Department of Agriculture.) Most folks agree that a good salad needs chicken and the poultry family seems to be unanimous in the opinion that good chickens need salad. This story is about chicken salad .as hennery, habitues think of it —assuming that they do think. -- During thespring and summer months a flock so located that it can range does not need to have any green feed supplied It. When the birds are confined In a back yard or in any other limited space where there is little or no green material, they will not do their beat unless supplied with all the salad material they can eat once a day. The question of how to supply the best feed at the least cost Is one each poultry keeper must decide largely for himself. It probably makes little difference what green feed is supplied, providing It is palatable. Clover, alfalfa, rape, rye, oats and Swiss chard are some of the crops often grown for this purpose. As it Is necessary to shut the hens away from the crop w’hen It is growing, various cropping plans are advocated. The poultry specialists in the United States department of agriculture recommend three plans to fit varying conditions and localities. Front and Back Alternate Plan. Back yard.—Permanent. Blue grass and clover or blue grass and alfalfa In sod. To be used as a range while crops are growing In the front yard. Large area desirable. . v , Front yard.—Temporary crops. November 1 to April 1. Feed winter rye, vetch, crimsoi/ clover, etc. April 1 to July 1, grow rape, chard, lettuce, buckwheat. July and August. Feed. September 1 to November 1. Grow winter rye, vetch, crimson, clover, etc. Where it Is thought best to grow tem-

porary crops in both poultry yards the following dotation is an excellent one in some localities: ,

Date. Yard A. Yard B. Mar. 1-Apr. SO. Peas & oats Feeding. Apr. 30-May 25 Feeding ..... Peas and barley. May 2»-June 15 Dwarf Essex Feeding, rape, . ' June 15-July 10 Feeding Buckwheat , and oats. July 10-Aug. 1. Buckwheat . Feeding. Aug. 1-Aug. 20 Feeding Cow peas millet. Aug. 20-Sept. 20 Rye, vetch. Feeding, clover. Sept. aPDec. I Feeding Rye ana”” vetch.

Special care must be taken lest the fowls return to the yard to which they have become acciistomed. The Third Plan. In this cropping plan one of the suggested crops is to be grown in one yard while a crop is pastured in the alternate yard. Crops should be selected which will grow in the given district. The dates must be modified for extreme north or south. Yard 1. —From April to July should be growing either oats, chard, lettuce, clover, vetch, sunflowers (shade and seed), cowpeas or rape. Yard 2. —From April to July flock feeds on winter rye, winter vetch, crimson clover (New Jersey and South), or sweet clover. Yard I.—-From July 1 to October 1 should be growing either oats, chard, lettuce, clover, vetch, cowpeas or rape. Yard 2. —From July 1 to October 1 flock feeds on buckwheat, dwarf Essex rape, or flat turnips. Yard 1. —From October 1 to April 1 should be growing oats, winter rye, winter vetch, sweet clover, or crimson clover. Yard 2. —From October 1 to April 1 flock feeds on buckwheat, dwarf Essex rape, flat turnips or soy beans. »

Sprouted Oats Nearly Ready to Be Pastured.