NINETEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IX 499 



ADVANTAGES OF SOILING. 



Soiling for dairy cows may be partial or complete, depending upon the 

 availability of pasture. As a supplemental green feed to be supplied in 

 conjunction with pasture, soiling possesses several distinct advantages. 

 Through the utilization of soiling the production of digestible nutrients 

 per acre ;s increased from three to five times over that produced by 

 pasturing. This is brought about largely hy the maturing of soiling crops 

 which permits of larger productioi). The tramping of stock on pastures, 

 especially during rainy weather, leaves the soil in poor condition, while 

 with soiling crops if the seed bed is carefully prepared the soil will be 

 in excellent condition. The tramping also directly stamps out considerable 

 grass, while the fouling by manure is another source of waste. The 

 operation of these factors makes it possible through soiling to secure 

 larger yields than is true under pasture conditions. 



Soiling tends to increase the average production of the milking herd. 

 By furnishing an abundance of palatable, succulent, and nutritious feed 

 at a time when pastures are short, milk production is stimulated. Thus 

 the serious decline in milk production which usually occurs during mid- 

 summer is largely eliminated. The production is favored since the cows 

 have at all times an ample feed supply without which maximum yields 

 are impossible. Soiling also contributes variety to the summer ration as 

 the different green crops mature and are fed to the cows, which is a 

 most important factor with high producing animals. Because of the avail- 

 able feed given, the cows are also kept in better physical tone and in a 

 higher condition of flesh which will augur well for the future production 

 of the herd after the soiling period has closed. The health of the animals 

 is more efficiently safeguarded since the crop is usually mature and not 

 apt to be washy and since weeds are much fewer. The combined opera- 

 tion of these forces will promote the production of the individual cows. 

 Since the production of the individual cows is increased, it follows that 

 the output of dairy products from the farm will be increased. The larger 

 production of soiling crops per acre as compared with pasturage will enable 

 the dairyman to keep a larger milking herd, which in turn ensures an in- 

 crease in the amount of dairy products. 



The liberal use of soiling crops decreases the necessity of a heavy 

 grain ration to dairy cows in summer. It is a well recognized fact that 

 high producing cows can not subsist on pasture alone and maintain their 

 standard of production. Here, soiling crops fill an important place, for 

 they furnish a large share, if not all, of the digestible nutrients required 

 in a succulent feed relished by the cows, instead of forcing the herdsman 

 to resort to dry feeds. This will render extensive purchase of concen- 

 trates unnecessary while the production of leguminous soiling crops 

 effectively limits, if it does not entirely prohibit, the use of costly nitro- 

 genous feeds. Thus isoiling crops may be used to furnish part, at least, of 

 the nutrients and most of the protein required even by heavy producing 

 cows. 



The use of soiling permits of the production of milk which is free from 

 the flavor of garlic or other weeds. Ofttimes stagnant water in pastures 

 as well as decaying organic matter will bring about undesirable changes 



