126 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



fodder for cows, but pure timothy is better to sell to the Boston 

 market than to feed. 



Large acreage of peas and oats should be grown and threshed 

 for grain as is the custom of the Canadian farmers who buy 

 very little feed for their cows. No better balanced ration can 

 be found than one carrying 40 lbs. well matured corn silage, 7 

 lbs. clover hay and 8 lbs. oats and peas ground together. This 

 is sufficient for a thousand pound cow producing 30 lbs. of 

 milk. I would most strongly urge the home growing of feeds 

 as much as possible and firmly believe it is the only salvation 

 for the average dairyman. In most sections of the State the 

 soil is good and productive and with the large amount of valu- 

 able manure from dairy stock one ought at least to grow all the 

 carbohydrates and a part of the protein needed, 



COMMERCIAL FEEDS. 



Notwithstanding the desirability of growing all feeds on the 

 farm circumstances will not always permit this to be done and 

 many farmers will continue to buy from the markets. As 

 briefly as possible I will, therefore, take up and discuss the 

 value of the various feeds found upon our markets today for 

 the dairy cow. For convenience we may divide them into three 

 classes. 



Class I. Those rich in protein. 



Class 2. Those medium in protein. 



Class 3. Those poor in protein and rich in carbohydrates. 



Under the first class we have the oil meals, the most promi- 

 nent among which is cottonseed meal. This meal is the richest 

 in and cheapest source of protein of any of the feeds offered. 

 It is, however, somewhat constipating and should be fed with 

 laxative foods as silage, bran, etc. There are two grades on 

 the market, namely, choice, guaranteed 41 per cent protein; 

 and prime, guaranteed 38.50 per cent protein. The choice is 

 usually the cheaper meal to buy as the lower grade is made by 

 adding ground hulls which have little feeding value. The better 

 grades of meals run well up to their guaranties. 



Linseed oil meal is the next in order of the seed meals. 

 They usually carry about 36 per cent protein and are laxative 



