323 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 June, 1919. 



average American dairy farm. As he travels tlirough the Middle- 

 Western and North Eastern States of the Union, innumerable large 

 cattle barns and towering silos constantly meet the eye. The first 

 impression one gets is that the American farmer builds nnich larger 

 barns, and lays by a much greater store by hay, silage, and other food- 

 stuffs, than the Australian farmer. On inquiry, it is learned that these 

 barns are built, not only as milking sheds, but to house the stock during 

 the long, freezingly cold winter months; that the high roofs are filled 

 with hay and other roughage for feeding the cattle, and to serve as an 

 emergency food supply; and that the towering silos contain corn silage 

 to i)rovide a sufficient reserve of succulent fodder for feeding throughout 

 the year. 



The freezing winter climate compels the American dairy farmer to 

 house his stock all through the winter and to provide ahead large 

 reserves of succulent fodder and clover, lucerne, or timothy bay. But 

 he has found that this liberal winter feeding leads to greatly increased 

 milk production, and that the milk yields under these artificial conditions 

 often equal the production in spring and summer, when the best natural 

 pastures are available. 



Thus, hand-feeding of stock, at first necessitated in winter by the 

 rigorous climate, is now becoming a fairly general practice throughout 

 the year. Indeed, 'band-feeding is carried out to an extent which would 

 astonish the average dairy farmer of Victoria. N^ot only are the cows 

 heavily fed during the winter months, but even AVhen the cows are 

 grazing on good pastures their pasturage is frequently supplemented by 

 hay and concentrates. 



The objective of the progressive dairy farmer appears to be (1) to 

 raise on^ his fann the maximum amount of grain, hay, and fodder; (2) 

 to retain these food products on the farm for feeding his stock during 

 the year; (3) to feed his cattle with as much hay and silage as they will 

 eat, and to supplement the ration of the higher-yielding cows with grain 

 and concentrates; and (4) to keep only the best-yielding cows and 

 systematically cull the worst. 



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

 hay (clover), timothy, or lucerne. But investigations at the experiment 

 stations have shown that even if high-producing cows are fed Avith an 

 abundance of hay and silage, the maximum yield of milk cannot be 

 obtained without the addition of some grain or concentrates to the 

 ration. 



Cows like the Holstein, capable of giving from 5 to 6 gallons per 

 day, will not be able to yield these quantities of milk if fed only on hay 

 and silage, becituse their bulk is too considerable. Hence the usual 

 practice is to supplement these quantities of hay and silage with 1 lb. 

 of mixed grain or concentrates for every 3 to 4 lbs. of milk, according 

 to its quality. Amei'ican dairy farmers are beginning to realize tlrat 

 the successful feeding of dairy cows from an economic stand-point 

 involves the providing of an abundant supply of palatable, nutritious 

 feed at the minimum cost per unit of feed, and supplying it to the cow- 

 in such a way as to secure the largest production for the feed consumed. 



For successful milk production two things are necessary — a produc- 

 tive dairy cow and a liberal system of feeding. A good cow may produce 

 well for some time even on poor feed, but she does this at the expense 



