FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR HOOK— PART X 



763 



Fig-. 5. Holstein cow — Geneseo Belle Polkadot, owned by Iowa State 

 College and holder of the following official records: 



Pounds Pounds Average 



Milk Butter Fat Test 



1 day 108.8 4.1 3.76 



7 days 733.6 27.508 3.74 



30 days 2,773.0 98.0 3.53 



365 days 20,816.2 732.94 3.35 



Experiments carried on at the different experiment stations show 

 conclusively that silage is far superior to shock corn or hay in 

 milk production. Silage fed cows produced from eleven to eighteen 

 per cent, more milk than cows fed fodder from the same acreage. 



The principal reason why a dairy cow increases her milk flow 

 when she is turned out to pasture in the spring is that she is 

 receiving a succulent feed. Thus, to secure a large and persistent 

 flow of milk during the winter months some succulent feed must 

 be secured to take the place of the pasture grass of summer. The 

 two most common succulent feeds for winter are corn, silage and 

 roots. Experimental work has proved that the silage, as com- 

 pared to roots, yields more heavily per acre, costs much less and 

 gives equal results from similar weights of dry matter. Silage is 

 also very desirable for the herd during the latter part of July and 

 the month of August, when the pastures are usually very short, due 

 to hot weather and lack of rainfall. The value of silage or soiling 

 crops at this season does not lie solely in the temporary increase in 

 milk flow, but also in maintaining it, if a cow once declines in her 

 milk flow it is practically impossible to bring her back to normal 

 for the remainder of her lactation period. 



EFFECTS OF SILAGE ON MILK. 

 Contrary to the opinion formerly held, milk from silage fed cows 

 is not inferior in flavor or odor to milk from cows fed dry feed. The 



