452 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



dairy farms results in a saving of land, fencing, food and manure, and 

 in greater and more profitable production of milk. 



SILAGE OR SOILING CROPS. 



Whether corn silage or soiling crops will be more economical and 

 efficient in supplementing the pasture will depend somewhat on specific 

 conditions. The experimental work which has been conducted along this 

 line has not furnished very conclusive evidence in favor of either. 



Evidently a silo small in diameter filled for summer use is the most 

 satisfactory and economical solution of the problem on the average Iowa 

 farm. Most of the soiling crops require more labor in getting them to the 

 animals than the average farmer who practices mixed farming wishes to 

 spare from the field work in the busy season of the year. 



However, the man who has a large herd of dairy cattle and wishes to 

 secure the best possible returns from his acreage will find it to his ad- 

 vantage to grow some soiling crops. There is nothing better than fresh, 

 palatable, nutritious green feed to stimulate milk production. Then, too, 

 by having in each mixture a leguminous plant, soiling crops can be 

 grown that are superior to corn silage in balance of nutrients. Another 

 class of farmers who would profit by the use of soiling crops is the 

 renters who cannot persuade their landlords that silos are necessary 

 fixtures upon farms. To these classes must be added the men who have 

 not put up silos yet and who wish to grow crops to feed in addition to 

 their pastures during the coming summer. All of them may adopt the 

 common practice of cutting green oats, sweet corn and field, corn to tide 

 the cattle through the short pasture period, but that is not as satisfactory 

 or profitable as to grow crops that are adapted for this purpose and can 

 be cut at the proper stage of maturity. 



In answer to the many questions which are being received at the Iowa 

 Agricultural Experiment Station, this circular on soiling crops has been 

 prepared. 



SYSTEM EMPLOYED ON COLLEGE DAIRY FARM. 



During the past three years soiling crops have been successfully grown 

 and used upon the Iowa state college dairy farm at Ames. Such varieties 

 have been grown as would furnish a succession of green feed to supple- 

 ment the limited acreage of blue grass pasture. Under this system the 

 cows have been turned into the pasture nights and forenoons and then 

 put in the barn about 2:30 p. m. and given a liberal allowance of the 

 freshly cut green feed. Under ordinary dairy farm conditions, the above, 

 or partial soiling system, is more satisfactory than to keep the cows 

 confined all the time and haul all the green feed to them, as is done on 

 some of the larger dairy farms. It is also much more satisfactory than 

 to feed the cows the green feed on the ground in the pasture, as is some- 

 times done, with muchi soiled and wasted feed as a result. 



RESULTS OBTAINED. 



Increased production of milk from decreased acreage has been the 

 result secured from this system of soiling crops. By bringing the cows 

 into the barn at the time of day when the heat and files are especially 

 troublesome and spraying them to remove files, it is made possible for 



