THE HOLSTE1N MILK MACHINE 147 



thing that will make milk ; other things being 

 equal, then the cow that consumes the most 

 food will produce the most milk. This is 

 the secret of the Holsteins' wonderful capacity for 

 assimilating enormous quantities of food without 

 retaining it under their hides in the shape of fat. 

 They have been bred for centuries with the 

 milk product in view, and they have become 

 notable machines for that purpose. They are 

 not the cows for people to keep who have to 

 buy feed in a high market, for they are not easy 

 keepers in any sense ; but for the farmer who 

 raises a lot of grain and roughage which should 

 be fed at his own door, they are ideal. They 

 will eat much and return much. 



As to feeding for milk, I have followed nearly 

 the same plan through my whole experiment. 

 I keep an abundance of roughage, usually 

 shredded corn, before the cows all the time. 

 When it has been picked over moderately well, 

 it is thrown out for bedding, and fresh fodder 

 is put in its place. The finer forages, timothy, 

 red-top, clover, alfalfa, and oat straw, are always 

 cut fine, wetted, and mixed with grain before 

 feeding. This food is given three times a day 

 in such quantities as will be eaten in forty-five 

 minutes. Green forage takes the place of dry 

 in season, and fresh vegetables are served three 

 times a week in winter. The grain ration is about 

 as follows : By weight, corn and cob meal, three 

 parts ; oatmeal, three parts ; bran, three parts ; 



