10 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Jan., 1919. 



are cheapest in the Middle "Western States, and the most profitable use 

 for these crops is found in feeding and fattening cattle, which can better 

 bear the cost of transportation than maize or hay. 



The greater proportion of the dairy production of the United States 

 is in the north-east section and the State of Wisconsin. This concentra- 

 tion is probably due to the proximity of large city markets, the cool 

 summer climate which favours the production of products of high 

 quality, and although the cool summer prevents the proper maturity 

 of maize for grain, it permits its production for silage. Moreover, 

 the climate of the north-eastern section has made it the most important 

 hay region, and an assured market for this hay is secured by keeping 

 dairy cows. The high rainfall, combined with the cool summer, pro- 

 motes the maintenance of green pastures, which greatly reduces the work 

 of feeding the cattle. 



The Holstein is the predominant breed of dairy cattle in the United 

 States. In smaller numbers are the Jerseys, Guernseys, and Ayrshires. 



The American clearly recognises that the production of milk eco- 

 nomically depends upon high producing cows and cheap home-grown 

 feeds. No eifort is spared to get high-producing cows, and during 

 recent years numerous cow-testing associations have been formed in 

 every dairy State of the Union. 



These coAv-testing associations work in close co-operation with the 

 Agricultural Colleges and Agricultural Departments. The development 

 of these cow-testing associations until they include every herd in the 

 State, is one of the main features in the extension work of the colleges. 



One striking feature in dairy farming practice is the extent to which 

 pasturage is supplemented by hay and concentrated foods. Hand feed- 

 ing is, of course, compulsory in the Northern States during winter on 

 account of the low temperatures, but the Americans have carried hand 

 feeding to an extent which would astonish the average dairy farmer in 

 Victoria. During the winter, milch cows are fed usually on hay and 

 silage. The basal ration for a 1,000-lb. cow is 35 lbs. of silage and 15 

 lbs. of hay (clover, timothy, or lucerne). But the American dairy 

 farmer and the Experiment Stations have found out by practice and 

 experimental investigation that, even if cows are fed with an abundance 

 of clover hay and silage, the maximum yield of milk cannot be obtained 

 without some grain and concentrates. 



Cows like the Holstein, capable of giving 4-6 gallons per day, will 

 not be able to manufacture these quantities of milk from hay or silage, 

 because the bulk is too considerable. Consequently grain is fed with 

 hay and silage usually at the rate of 1 lb. of mixed grain and concen- 

 trates (bran, maize, oats, oilmeal, gluten feed, brewers' grains) for 

 every 3-4 lbs. of milk given in excess of 2 gallons per day. 



The American farmer certainly knows how to raise cheap pork. 

 He makes a profit out of pigs, even when prices are low and grain 

 products high, by making extensive use of rape, lucerne, or clover pas- 

 tures, and supplementing the grazing with grain rations. 



The work of the Experiment Stations shows conclusively that the 

 growing of pasture crops should go hand in hand with pork production, 

 lAicerne is the most valuable of all such pastures, because of its high pro- 

 duction of digestible nutrients, its vigorous growth and heavy yields, 

 and its soil renovating qualities. The pastures are used for grazing 



