248 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



for every pound of red in it than it should have. Prairie hay is much 

 better than timothy hay. 



We have here alfalfa. Alfalfa contains 11 per cent protein; 39.6 pf^r 

 cent carbohydrates, 1.2 per cent fat. The nutritive ration is 1-3-8. In 

 any section of the country where alfalfa can be grown it is the best feel 

 for dairymen; a ration of alfalfa and corn will give you a balanced 

 ration, one of the cheapest rations, and it can be grown on the farm. 

 In the districts -where alfalfa can be grown it is one of the best things 

 and one that the farmers in that vicinity should grow. 



Clover hay comes next; its nutritive ration is 1-5-8. 



We have here rape and blue grass pasture. Rape is something which 

 can not be fed dairy cows, as it will taint milk. 



Cottonseed meal is richest in protein, richer than gluten feed or 

 oil meal and good feed for dairy cattle when it can be purchased cheaper, 

 and generally speaking it is a cheap feed. 



We have flaxseed meal here from which the oil meal is made. It is 

 fairly rich in protein but especially rich in ])ran. It can not be fed 

 with profit to dairy cows, but is exceptionally good to add to skim milk 

 for calves — mix flaxseed meal and skim m'lk for calves. A great many 

 people take one part flaxseed meal and six parts water and soak it seven 

 or eight hours and boil it an hour, until it gets into a thick mush. 



We have here germ oil meal. This feed has been advertised quite 

 extensively but in our experience has not proven nearly as satisfactory 

 as gluten feed or gluten meal. 



You will notice from the very beginning we have emphasized es- 

 pecially the importance of having a large amount of prot^ein present. 

 That is for the feed which is consumed for the purpose of the production 

 of milk. We are often asked the question. "What is the value of this 

 kind lof feed in feeding cows?" Bran is worth, say, $15 per ton now, 

 ^nd oats, when compared to bran at that price, is much cheaper for the 

 dairy farmer to feed . In order to work out a chart on that line I have 

 the following figures. This is a chart gotten up simply to show the 

 protein value of different feed stuffs. I don't want you to understand 

 for a moment that this chart gives the actual value of the feed stuffs. 

 The feed stuffs on this chart are represented as having low values are 

 high in carbohydrates cr fat. This gives protein value. On every 

 farm there is plenty of carbohydrates and fats grown and one constitu- 

 ent which is lacking is protein, and this chart gives the protein value 

 not the exact value, but the protein value, and is based on the following 

 basis. When bran is worth the following prices per t'on other feeds are 

 worth these prices: 



What is the price of bran (Answer— $20. $18, $14). Well, we will 

 say $16. When bran is worth $16 per ton on a protein basis shorts are 

 worth $16; gluten feed, $32; corn bran, $9.47; oil meal, old process, 

 $37; new process, $36; cottonseed meal, $47.61; flaxseed meal, $26.36; 

 germ oil meal, $26.88; clover hay, $8.70; timothy hay, $3.58 (That looks 

 low, and it is a low value for timothy hay, but timothy hay is low in 

 protein and not a good feed for dairy cattle and is not worth one half 

 as much as clover hay); prairie hay, $4.48; corn fodder, $3.20; alfalfa 

 is worth $14 per ton when bran is worth $16 from a protein standpoint; 



