38 VERMONT DAIRYMEN'S' REPORT. 



We note in the first place that, because the hay is a com- 

 paratively indigestible feed, although the animal eats her fill 

 she only secures some 14.2 pounds of digestible matter, when 

 16 are needed. Secondly it will be seen that instead of secur- 

 ing 2.5 pounds of protein she obtains from the hay but 1.4 

 pounds. Now let us replace six or seven pounds of the hay with 

 an equal quantity of corn meal. The hay and meal would 

 show approximately these figures : 



Protein Fat Carbohydrates Total Proportion 



or ratio. 



Pounds 1.5 .5 14. 16 1:10 



The animal would secure all the digestible material she would 

 need, but, because the corn meal is deficient in protein, the 

 ration must also be ; we see that it contains only 1.5 pounds. 

 We feed therefore grains or concentrated feeds, first to give the 

 animal the requisite amount of digestible material, and second 

 to increase the amount of protein in the ration. Our own ex- 

 periments have told us that, feeding sixteen pounds of digesti- 

 ble matter per day, containing 2 pounds of protein — we get 

 five per cent more milk than if the ration contained 1.5 pounds, 

 and if the ration contains 2.5 pounds we get ten per cent more 

 milk than if the ration only contains 1.5 pounds. 



I hardly see for the above reasons how it would be econ- 

 omical to get along without feeding more or less concentrated 

 feeds. The coarse feeds of the farm, as has been shown, are 

 relatively indigestible as well as deficient in protein. From 

 some source then must be procured feeds of a high digestibility 

 and rich in protein, if one is to expect large and continuous 

 milk yields. It may be remarked, parenthetically, that such 

 feeds are likewise rich in fertilizing constituents. 



Our experimenters are studying the problem of how to 

 raise as much as possible of all feed-stuffs upon our own farms, 

 and thus render the farmer independent of the grain dealer. 

 While we may in a measure succeed, I am of the opinion that 

 because of the great industries in our country engaged in manu- 

 facturing a variety of materials from the grains grown in the 

 west and south, the by-products resulting can be sold at such a 

 low price that it will still be economical for the farmers of the 

 east to purchase these to an extent, rather than to produce 

 them at home. In this connection we must not forget that the 

 farms should not be allowed to decrease in fertility. Although 

 the dairy farmer produces chiefly butter and thus sells but little 

 fertility from his land, it will still be necessary to replace the 

 waste, and it is far more economical to put back this fertility 

 through the cows, than to buy it in the form of fertilizers. 



