No 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 165 



PROTEIN. 



CAN DAIRYMEN PRODUCE THE NECESSARY PROTEIN FEEDS PROFI- 

 TABLY ON THEIR OWN FARMS? 



Bv U J. I'AXrEUSON, Director Marulund Expiriincnt Station. 



There is no question which is of so much importance to the 

 dairy farmer as the proper feeding of his cows so a® to obtain not 

 only the greatest amount of product, but also to procure that product 

 at the least cost per pound. The progressive dairyman has come to 

 recognize that protein is a necessary constituent to accomplish this 

 end. At first it seemed a simple matter to turn to the markets and 

 purchase the protein which the home grown feeds did not furnish. 

 But even under the most favorable conditions of purchasing protein 

 the amount paid out for feed represent® a large percentage of the 

 gross income which must materially cut down the profits. In this 

 day when the demand for this class of feeds has largely increased 

 both for foreign and home consumption and the price of our products 

 relatively less, it has become a very important aod lively subject to 

 consider how the amount of protein required can be produced on 

 each and every farm. Not only is it necessary to find out the crops 

 that can be grown so as to furnish the required protein; but it is 

 also essential to determine the crops which will furnish this protein 

 profitably and most economically. The question of the home pro- 

 duction of protein is much more important for the eastern dairy- 

 man than for his western brother, from the fact that protein feeds 

 are much cheaper in the west than the east which, together with the 

 fact of its always being cheaper to market a finished product rather 

 than the raw materials, places the already keen competition between 

 the eastern and western dairy products still more to the advantage 

 of the west. This fact is also true as to the production of all classes 

 of animal product®. 



There is no doubt that the Home Production of Protein is the per- 

 tinent question of the day for the eastern dairyman and stockman. 

 Bow to answer this question and solve the various problems con- 

 nected therewith are more or less difficult and will require each per- 

 son or community to make some individual calculations and modifi- 

 cationei of anything that might be said in this connection, yet it may 



