The Question Box. 351 



What variety of grain is best to feed for milli and butter, for best 

 results? 



Mr. Litchard. — It would depend on the quality of the hay. 

 Clover hay is much more valuable for feeding a cow than is mixed 

 hay or timothy. Corn stalks left out till this season, have a ratio 

 of 1 to 17. Bran and linseed meal would be the most profitable 

 to feed with ensilage or hay. Eight to ten pounds of bran, three 

 of linseed meal and 30 to 40 pounds of ensilage will make as good 

 ration for an ordinary cow, as we can formulate. With clover, 

 less bran and linseed may be fed. 



Is rape a good food for milch cows? 



Mr. Van Alstyne. — There is no question about the value of rape. 

 It is, however, a sheep food ; but it may be fed in a limited quan- 

 tity to cows. If you want it for spring feed, sow it early in the 

 spring. If for fall feeding, sow it in August, but it may be sown 

 in the corn during the last cultivation for fall feeding. Dwarf 

 Essex is a good variety. 



What would be the result if rape were sown later than the last of April 

 or first of May? Would such seeding last until fall? 



Mr. Ward. — No; I would not sow it then for fall feeding. 

 Forty-five days are time enough. From the 10th to the 20th day 

 of June is early enough. It will then be ready to cut in August, 

 while the little red louse, that attacks early-sown rape, will not 

 appear. Sow the Dwarf Essex variety. 



Is this a good ration for milch cows, viz.: 10 pounds of ensilage, 10 

 pounds of timothy hay, seven pounds of gluten meal, one pound of peas 

 and oats? 



Mr. Van Wagenen. — That is almost an ideal ration. It is a 

 little wider than the German standard but is very nearly like the 

 one the professor put on the blackboard, having a ratio of 1 to 5.9 



When the farmer is depending on the factory, that runs but eight 

 months of a year, and he only wants his cows to go dry two months, which 

 two months are best for his cows to go dry? 



Mr. Ward. — I would turn that question around and run the 

 factory twelve months, if T could get a man to do it. 



Mr. Converse. — The man will do it, if he can get the milk. We 

 ought to produce more milk in winter than in summer; while 



