' ) M.V.B.A. NEWS |
BY HERMAN TURNER
The Matanuska Valley Breeder’s
k Assn, will not meet this month,
as May is a busy time on the farm
and these ever lengthening Alas
kan days calls one into the fields
for the labor needed there. It is
seed time on the farm, and the
dairyman who must always be
looking into the cavernous depths
of the cow’s five stomachs, has
his problems mapped out for him.
As soon as the fields are fit to
work, crops must be put in.
At the last meeting, Don Irwin
told members about the different
grasses that do well in Alaska.
More grass should be sown on our
,farms, as we believe that, both
from the standpoint of conserva
tion and of economic production
grass holds the key which will i
unlock our soil resources and |
produce the maximum of rough-1
age for our herds.
Transition Period
But this is a transition stage,
in the history of valley farming. J
In the past most roughage pro- j
duced has been in the form of hay •
and silage made out of oats, peas,
* and vetch. In this period of trans
ition thru which we now are go
ing, considerable of this form of
roughage will still be planted.
Until we have had a little more
experience with grasses, and le
gumes other than peas and vetch,;
and until our present seedings
have become established in our
fields, we will have to keep on
r using oats, peas and vetch to
some extent.
In producing roughage for milk
cows the objective is to grow
crops which will furnish the
greatest possible protein, as it is
this nutrient in the feed most
needed in the production of milk.
For that reason the leguminous
crops, whether annual, biennial
or perennial, are the most import
ant to use in the production of
high protein roughage.
Our two commonly used an
nual legumes are peas and vetch i
< which ai’e adapted to Alaskan |
conditions. Because of their vi
ney growth they have to be
grown together with a plant that
has a strong, upright stem, sucn
as oats or barley. But they are
still hard to harvest, as valley
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dairymen know full well. The !
vines will catch and wind on any
moving object. They can even
throw a man in walking among
them. Because of this ungentle
manly tendency of the peas and
vetch, we are apt to seed less of
them and more oats, as it makes
harvesting simpler.
The common grain binder in
use here was not originally built
for the harvesting of vine crops.
The reef is too light and the di
vider too weak to stand the
strain.
A few weeks ago I had ocas
sion to visit the Creamer Dairy
it Fairbanks. In showing me
iround his splendid establish
ment and his herd of sixty five
milking Holsteins, Creamer show
id me a machine that I am cer
:ain every farmer who has har
vested peas would be happy to
iwn. It was the regulation pea
harvester used in the states for
:he harvesting of peas for the
tanneries. Creamer is using this
machine to harvest oats and peas
:or the silo and by using this
specially made pea harvester he
s able to seed a heavier stand of
oeas in the oats than we dare to
use when we have to resort to the
conventional grain binder.
At their dairy they are able to
get by on 16% protein grain
feed because of the higher pro
tein content of their silage due to
the greater proportion of peas to
oats: We here feel that we have
to use a 20% dairy feed in order
to get best results in the milk pail.
As protein feeds are the most ex
pensive, our grain feed is costing
us more than the feed Creamer is
using. The pea harvester is equip
ped with a rubber belt conveyor,
instead of the canvas used with
the common grain binder. Here
again, is a considerable saving in
work and tempers.
Proteins Needed
Now, I’m not saying that we
should get such a machine. It
costs over a thousand dollars and,
as we grow more and more grass
es and biennial and perennial le
gumes, the field chopper equip
ped with a cutting bar is no doubt
the coming machine. But I bring
in this observation to show how
good field management is needed
in planning our crops in order to
produce the biggest yields of the
right kind of feed.
It is highly important for the
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24 Hours a Day...
All
Year
Around
The light of the silvery
moon is alright in its
place . . . but . . . for
modern farming good clean, cheap electric
light is much better. It doesn't depend on night
fall to shine . . . it's there when you want it 24
hours a day, all year around. Just press a but
ton or turn a switch and you've got light. Don't
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and efficient friend.
Matanuska Electric Association, Inc,
Your REA Electric Co-Op in Palmer
"Serving the Valley Since 1942"
PALMER. ALASKA
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dairy farmer to always keep in
mind that roughage for milk
cows should contain as much pro
tein as possible. If we can get to
grow a heavy mixture of alsike
clover with brome grass or more
extensively use the biennial yel
low blossomed sweet clover we
will be able to reduce the amount
of high priced protein in our con
centrates. To meet the ever in
creasing competition in the dairy
products field, we will have to
learn how to grow, and use,
| cheaper proteins.
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411 Piifeh Ave Anchorage Phone itttl
If you've paid by check it's
easy. There is no better sup
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For your own protection, pay
by check and check on the
VALLEY BANK. With sky-high
taxes coming it's the only
way to do business.
MATANUSKA VALLEY BANK
Palmer, Alaska
Open Friday Evenings—5 to 7 P. M.
2 PER CENT;ON SAVINGS