Wake and Durham County Farmers Praise Alfalfa, New Summertime Feed, 1939

By F.H. Jeter, Extension Editor, NC State College, Raleigh, as published in the Winston-Salem Journal, Aug. 7, 1939

 “No one can go wrong in using grass silage,” commented O.H. Faulhaber of Apex, Route 1, as he stopped bottling his fine Jersey milk long enough to express his enthusiasm for this new succulent, summer-time feed now gaining rapid popularity among dairymen of North Carolina.

…. Dr. F.J. Faulhaber of the state veterinarian’s office, has been using the silage this year for his herd of 20 Jersey cows. His brother, O.H. Faulhaber, looks after the dairy and is an enthusiast about grass silage.

“It’s better than hay,” he said. “We ensiled a cereal mixture form about seven acres this spring and filled a 55-ton silo. There is no waste as in hay since we have only a small pasture, this grass silage keeps up the milk flow.”

…

“You don’t have to worry about the crop getting wet and ruined for hay; you don’t have to worry about having to wait until the crop gets too mature and being all stems and straw; there is no waste; no dust to get into the milk; you can put up what you cut each day; it has a good flavor; the cows like it and it makes milk. What more could one ask in a feed?” said Mr. Faulhaber.

…

W.W. Fitzpatrick who runs George Watts Hill’s famous Quail Roost Farm in Durham County ensiled alfalfa last year and says he secured a yield of eight tons per acre. The cost of ensiling was cheaper than for corn and this alfalfa silage gave a greater milk production. Less hay was required as supplemental feed. The alfalfa was cut in early bloom and was not exposed over two hours to the sunlight.