FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR HOOK— PART X 765 



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 advantage to grow some soiling crops. There is 

 nothing better than fresh, palatable, nutritious green feed to stimu- 

 late milk production. Then, too, by having in each mixure a 

 leguminous plant, soiling crops can be grown that are superior to 

 corn silage in balance of nutrients. Another class of farmers who 

 profit by the use of soiling crops are the renters who' cannot per- 

 suade 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. 



SOILING CROP SYSTEM 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 chosen as would furnish a succession of 

 green feed to supplement the limited acreage of blue grass pasture. 

 Under this system the cows have been turned into the pasture nights 

 and forenoons and then put into the barn about 2:30 p. m. and 

 given a liberal allowance of the freshly cut green feed. Under 

 ordinary 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 sometimes done, 

 with much soiled and wasted feed as a result. 



Increased production of milk from decreased acreage has been 

 the result secured at the college dairy farm from this system of 

 soiling crops. By bringing the cows into the barn at the time of 

 day when the heat and flies are especially troublesome and spray- 

 ing them to remove flies, it is made possible for them to eat their 

 feed in comfort. Thus they are enabled to keep up a normal flow 

 of milk when they would ordinarily decline seriously. Also, because 

 these palatable green crops are used, less grain needs to be fed the 

 heaviest producers, while ordinary producers may be kept up in 

 production and condition without grain. 



In 1911 thirty-seven cows were kept on 19% acres of pasture 

 and in addition were supplied with the soiling crop from 8 acres. 

 Counting the land devoted to both pasture and soiling crops each 

 cow was kept the entire season on .74 of an acre. The value of the 

 soiling crops may be fully realized when it is remembered that the 

 summer of 1911 was one of scanty rainfall and many farmers in 

 the vicinity of Ames were allowing 21/2 to 3 acres of pasture for 

 each cow. In 1912, 4.5 cows were kept on the 19l^ acre pasture 

 and in addition were allowed a trifle over 6 acres of soiling crops 

 — or each cow was kept on about .6 of an acre. In addition to 

 this, in 1912 the cows grazed on a 15 acre meadow for a few weeks, 



