No. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 193 



sylvania who produces 4,000 pounds of milk and 160 pounds of but- 

 terfat a year, some twenty-three cows could be kept with an excess 

 of energy. Should a ton and a half of protein be fed purchased in 

 some bought mill feed, seven more cows could be kept. Now this 

 system would not be profitable, for cheaper feed than wheat can be 

 purchased. It merely shov/s the possibilities under the average con- 

 ditions. By increasing the crop yields it will be found that the cost 

 of producing milk can be lowered considerably. We must watch 

 the corners so that the cows will be keeping us rather than our keep- 

 ing them. 



It is a very important matter to most of us to determine the 

 cheapest feeds that we can supply the proper nutrients to our cows. 

 Nearly always the roughage is raised on the farm. This may be hay, 

 silage, straw, or corn fodder. Part of the concentrates are also 

 raised such as corn and oats. Now the problem is to secure certain 

 concentrates that will balance the home-grown feeds. 



There are several requisites that a mixture of grains should have. 

 First. It should be economical. Protein and energy should be se- 

 cured at a low price. The importance of this is self-evident. Care 

 must be taken to see that the price per hundred pounds of the feed 

 itself is not deceptive. The only true price is that at which one-hun- 

 dred pounds of the protein or the energy can be purchased. Second. A 

 grain mixture should have bulk. In a loose, flaky mixture, the diges- 

 tive juices can permeate the feed easier and a greater degree of diges- 

 tion is accomplished. Third. Palatability is essential. A cow may 

 eat to some extent that which is not appetizing, but she never will 

 consume the large amount offered that she would otherwise. Feed is 

 the raw material from which the milk is made, and roughly speaking, 

 the more feed, the more milk, up to the limit of production of the 

 cow. Fourth. Variety is quite necessary also in the grain mixture. 

 By the use of several grains, a mixture cau be made up that the cow 

 will eat for a long time without tiring of it. Fifth. Lastly, the effect 

 of the feeds upon the system of the cow. A balance must be struck so 

 that there will not be too much laxativeness or the opposite. A grain 

 mixture is made up to completely balance a ration when fed with one 

 or more roughages. Koughages may be divided into three classes, de- 

 pending upon their protein content. In the first group, timothy and 

 silage, corn stover, straw, etc. Mixed hay or any case where half the 

 roughage is clover, alfalfa or other legume hay compose the second 

 group. The third group of roughages is composed of all legumin- 

 ous hays. 



Roughage should be fed to the cows, all that they will eat up 

 clean. Then feed the grain mixture in the proportion of one pound 

 of grain for each three pints or pounds of milk. Corn meal furnishes 

 the basis of the mixture. It is a home-grown feed, and ordinarily 

 supplies energy the cheapest. Cottonseed meal, gluten feed, oil meal, 

 are three feeds that furnish protein cheaply, so that at least one is 

 usually used. A grain mixture, to possess the qualities desired, 

 should be composed of four grains. Corn, cottonseed, gluten and 

 dried distillers' grains are four concentrates that can be mixed to 

 balance along with any roughage. At the College we feed mixed hay 

 and silage for roughage. With these we use a mixture composed of 

 275 pounds of cornmeal, 150 pounds of cottonseed, 200 pounds distil- 



13—5—1914 



