260 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



drouths. After some years of experimenting I have settled down to the 

 following rotatiion to insure the cows their green feed in ample quantity: 

 About the 15th of May we turn our cows on grass, not stopping their 

 feed of grain or silage at the barn at the milking hour, this is a mis- 

 take made by a large number of dairymen, and should be avoided . A 

 cow that has been fed a liberal ration of grain in the barn is in a poor 

 condition to go to grass and at once get the amount of nutrients neces- 

 sary to make her yield the same flow of milk she did on the grain and 

 other feeds she was receiving at the barn. She will not consume enough 

 of the grass that is in the early spring immature, to get the amount of 

 nutrients she requires, hence the necessity of giving her a feed at the 

 barn for a time at least, and it is yet an open question whether she 

 should not receive some grain every day she is at pasture. In my own 

 case this is the first year I have conducted a herd of dairy cattle and 

 not fed grain the whole summer through and at a profit in every case. 

 This summer, with the greatest growth of white clover I ever saw and 

 good fall pastures of blue grass. I have riot fed any grain, but am not in 

 a position to say it would not hav^ paid to have fed some. 



As our pastures are liable to be cut short by dry weather and the 

 blue grass becomes tough and unpalatable, we must make provision for 

 furnishing the cows some green thing Ho take the place of the pasture 

 grass; I have followed the following plan with good results: In the 

 spring as early as the land can be worked, I fit a piece of land for rape 

 by dressing it well with manure, then plowing about four inches deep 

 and harrowing finely, then sowing about four pounds of Dwarf Essex 

 rape to the acre, harrowing again lightly. This crop will be fit to feed 

 in about eight weeks from sowing if weather is at all favorable. Care 

 must be used in feeding it to milk cows, or tainted milk will result. 

 It should be cut and fed in stable or on the grass, or the cows may be 

 turned on it after being milked, leaving them on it for two or three 

 hours; a longer period will result in the milk being tainted. This crt)p 

 is one of the greatest producers of green feed we have. One acre has 

 been known to produce as high as twenty-five tons; it is a very profitable 

 feed for swine also, and you will not make any mistake in sowing a field 

 of it next year. 



After I have sown the rape crop I then sow a crop of Canada peas 

 with oats. This is a crop that will make you a splendid hay in case 

 you do not require it for soiling purposes. It yields well and is relished 

 by all farm animals. To sow this crop, select a piece of land that made 

 you a good corn crop last year, sow on the ground, before plowing, about 

 a bushel of the peas, then plow them under four inches deep, after which 

 sow a bushel and a peck of oats on the land and harrow them in. This 

 crop will be ready to cut for green feed about June 15th, and for hay 

 on the 1st to the 5th of July. As a soil crop it will yield eight to twelve 

 tons per acre and from two to four tons of hay. 



The oat crop as sown on our farms makes a good green feed and 

 comes in about the 25th of June and continues tio be fit for soiling up 

 to the 10th of July. Some of the large varieties of sweet corn are now 

 ready for planting, and if we fit our land well we will get a great amount 

 of green feed from the crop, and the returns in milk yield will pay well 



