DAIRY ASSOCIATION. 303 



results were obtained with cured corn fodder as with ensilage, but 

 this fodder was cured under perfect conditions such as it is almost 

 impossible to obtain in ordinary farm practice, and the fact remains 

 that ensilage is more palatable than cured fodder no matter how care- 

 fully cured. All things considered siloing is the cheapest method of 

 harvesting the whole corn crop. 



Ensilage should form a large part of the winter's ration, but some 

 dry fodder or hay should always be fed. If possible this cured fod- 

 der should be some kind of legume, clover, cow pea, Soy bean, alfalfa 

 or vetcli. I have always used corn fodder for ensilage. Plant with 

 corn drill twice as thick in rows as for a regular corn crop. On good 

 ground, if the season is favorable, I will get a good crop of ears and 

 a large amount of fodder, but if we have too much dry weather we 

 will get a good crop of fodder but not so many ears. The past 

 season my ensilage corn would have made seventy-five bushels to 

 the acre. 



Sorghum for ensilage is highly spoken of by some. I tried a 

 patch this season. Drilled it with corn planter pretty thick in rows. 

 It made a large growth, but lodged down so that it was a great deal 

 of work to harvest it. If it could be kept from lodging it would 

 handle very well and give a large crop, and in a dry season like last 

 year would still give a good crop. Sorghum is a very valuable forage 

 plant. Sown thickly and cut and cured like hay it yields a large 

 crop which is readily eaten, and it retains much of its succulence 

 until late in the winter. Clover, cow peas and Soy beans can be 

 grown almost everywhere in this State. Alfalfa is on trial, and has 

 been successfully grown in several places. The hairy vetch is well 

 reported of elsewhere, and while I do not know that it has been tried 

 to any extent in this State, I believe it would do well. 



Now it is not enough that we give the cow plenty of good feed, 

 but we must give it in the right proportion. Scientific feeders and 

 investigators have worked out a standard for feeding milch cows 

 that may well be taken as a guide. Woll's American Standard 

 Ration for Dairy Cows, compiled from the averages of rations fed 

 by over one hundred successful dairymen in different parts of the 

 United States, is : 



Dry matter. 

 24.50 lbs. 



Protein. 

 2.15 lbs. 



Carbohydrates. 

 13.30 lbs. 



Fat. 

 .75 



