Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1912 — Alfalfa a Revelation to Eastern Dairymen. [ARTICLE]

Alfalfa a Revelation to Eastern Dairymen.

Mr. A. G. W. Farmer requests us to publish the following clipping from the Twin Falls (Idaho) Chronicle, which explains why he was unable to ge,t a few carloads of alfalfa hay here this spring as he had contemplated:

H. P. Farmer, one of our most enf»‘i prising hay buyers, says that the past winter has demonstrated to the dairymen in the east and elsewhere that a Haifa hay is the best feed they can buy for dairy cows, and he believes it will, to a large extent, displace other feeds. One of his customers who in former seasons has been feeding timothy hay and shorts found that by feeding alfalfa he could dispense with the shorts. Hereafter this man will sell his timothy in horse-feeding markets and buy Twin Palls alfalfa for his dairy herd, and will make money on the transactions. ' The dairymen of Idaho have demonstrated that butter fat can be produced from alfal a feed at a cost of about 2 centsi a pound, while in dairy states of the Mississippi valley it costs twice as much.

Mrfl. Farmer states that in the east a prejudice against alfalfa has obtained, most of the Stockmen believing the claims made for it were principally hot air, but being forced, by the shortage of other hay, to resort to it. its great value as a balanced ration has been a revelation, and they aiW goirig to demand it in increasing quantities. As theyj cannot raise it they have to comet west for it. The experience of the 5 past winter will therefore prove of immeasurable value to the .Twin l Falls tracts in creating a demand forj our mammoth hay crop ail over the Lnited States, for the buyers havel been sending hay to practically every: state in .the Lnion. hundreds of cars * going to the Atlantic seaboard. A great drawback to the hay business has been lack of care in putting up and baling. Many consignments have been turned down at destination because they arrived in tad condition. This has been due to loading damp hay. , While a good market for surplus hay is of advantage to the Idaho farmer, he is not going to get rich in raising it to sell. It is only when he keeps stock to eat his hay crop that prosperity will abide with him.