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Widtsoe, John Andreas, 1872-1952

"Dry-Farming : a System of Agriculture for Countries under a Low Rainfall"

The short growing season,
induced by the shortness of water, is undoubtedly the main reason
for the higher protein content and consequently higher nutritive
value of all dry-farm crops.
Nutritive value of dry-farm hay, straw, and flour
All the parts of dry-farm crops are highly nutritious. This needs to
be more clearly understood by the dry-farmers. Dry-farm hay, for
instance, because of its high protein content, may be fed with crops
not so rich in this element, thereby making a larger profit for the
farmer. Dry-farm straw often has the feeding value of good hay, as
has been demonstrated by analyses and by feeding tests conducted in
times of hay scarcity. Especially is the header straw of high
feeding value, for it represents the upper and more nutritious ends
of the stalks. Dry-farm straw, therefore, should be carefully kept
and fed to animals instead of being scattered over the ground or
even burned as is too often the case. Only few feeding experiments
having in view the relative feeding value of dry-farm crops have as
yet been made, but the few on record agree in showing the superior
value of dry-farm crops, whether fed singly or in combination.


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