DAIRY MEIETING. 12/ 



it to the best advantage. With that understanding, let us look 

 at a few of the common feeding stuffs we are using in our dairy 

 work. Timothy hay is worth in the market two or three dollars 

 more than mixed hay. Is it worth that to us on the farm as a 

 feed? Timothy hay contains 3.6 per cent digestible protein, 

 43.9 per cent of digestible carbohydrates, and 1.6 per cent of 

 fat. This 1.6 fat is equal to 3.6 carbohydrates, which added to 

 43.9 equals 47.5 per cent of equivalent digestible carbohydrate 

 material. We have found that the protein costs 2.7 cents per 

 pound in the market, or 9.7 cents for 3.6 pounds. 47.5 pounds 

 of carbohydrates at i 1-3 cents equal 63.3 cents. This gives us 

 73 cents per 100 pounds, or $14.60 per ton, the value of timothy 

 hay as compared with mixed hay. This timothy hay which is 

 worth two, three or four dollars more in the market is worth no 

 more upon the farm to feed our cows than the mixed hay, 

 because it does not have more digestible nutrients. 



You will pardon me if I go a little farther with this matter 

 of roughage produced on the farm to feed with the concentrates. 

 Clover hay is a very important crop in Maine. Every once in 

 a while we get disturbed because we cannot grow alfalfa. If 

 we could grow alfalfa as easily as we can grow grass, we should 

 not find it any better for general farming purposes than clover, 

 if as good. It will not fit into any rotation. It is not a short 

 lived crop, and successful farming in Maine depends very 

 largely upon turning the land frequently and having rotation 

 crops. Alfalfa is somewhat richer in protein than clover, but 

 here in Maine we have little difficulty in growing clover and it 

 is a great crop for us. It contains 7.2 per cent of protein, 35.8 

 digestible carbohydrates, and 1.8 per cent of fat, which is equal 

 to 4.1 per cent of carbohydrates, giving 39.9 per cent of equiva- 

 lent carbohydrate material. Using the same factors, we find 

 the protein is worth 19.4 cents, and the carbohydrates, at i 1-3 

 cents, are worth 53.2 cents, making a total of 72.5 cents for the 

 100 pounds or $14.50 per ton, practically the same as timothy 

 hay although it commands a much less market price. 



What I wish to consider today is not the feeding value of 

 these materials, but what they are costing us. The clover hay, 

 with its 7.2 per cent of protein, is of course a very much better 

 feed than timothy which has only about two-thirds as much 



