392 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



centrates, 5.0 Ibs. clover hay, and 30.8 Ibs. corn silage, the average yield 

 of milk was 22.5 Ibs. a day and of fat 0.88 Ib. When there was added 

 to this ration 18.3 Ibs. of roots per head daily, the daily yield of milk 

 was increased 1.3 Ibs. and of fat 0.05 Ib. An increase of this sort is 

 important for the breeder seeking high records of production. However, 

 this practice is rarely economical for dairymen in general, for in these 

 trials the increase in production was net great enough to offset the cost 

 of the roots added to the ration, taking the market price for the milk, 



640. Potatoes. A heavy allowance of potatoes produces milk of poor 

 flavor. They may be used with success, however, when not over about 

 33 Ibs. of cooked potatoes are fed per head daily, or somewhat less of the 

 raw tubers. When feeding a heavy allowance of potatoes, Hills of the 

 Vermont Station 125 found the dry matter in corn silage superior to that 

 in raw potatoes. Butter from the potato-fed cows was salvy. (374) 



641. Osage oranges. Hooper of the Kentucky Station 126 reports that 

 he has fed daily to dairy cows 10 to 13 osage oranges, each weighing about 

 1 Ib. on the average. The oranges were gathered in the fall before be- 

 ing frozen and were buried in a mound of earth, where they kept satis- 

 factorily thruout the winter. Some cows refused to eat the osage 

 oranges, because of the somewhat bitter taste, while others liked them or 

 soon became accustomed to them. 



642. Wet beet pulp. Wet beet pulp is liked by cows and produces 

 milk of good quality when not fed in excess. In a trial by Wing and 

 Anderson at the New York (Cornell) Station, 127 good results were se- 

 cured when cows were fed 50 to 100 Ibs. of wet beet pulp per head daily 

 with 8 Ibs. of grain and 6 to 12 Ibs. of hay. As it has but 9 to 10 per ct. 

 dry matter, wet beet pulp is worth about one-third as much as corn 

 silage per ton. Beet pulp may have a higher value than given above 

 when no other succulent food is supplied. The fermented pulp appears 

 to be more palatable and satisfactory, tho even fresh pulp seems to stimu- 

 late the consumption of dry roughage. There are occasional reports of 

 beet pulp tainting the milk. Buffum and Griffith of the Colorado Sta- 

 tion 128 found 2 Ibs. of fresh beet pulp equal to 1 Ib. of sugar beets for 

 dairy cows. (275) 



When cows are fed little else than wet beet pulp, weak calves may re- 

 sult, doubtless due to the fact that the pulp is low in lime. They should 

 therefore always have plenty of legume hay in addition, the allowance 

 of pulp being reduced, if necessary to get them to eat the other feed. 



643. Soilage, Corn silage furnishes just as satisfactory and much 

 cheaper feed to supplement short summer pasture than does a succes- 

 sion of soiling crops, such as red clover, peas and oats, sweet corn, 

 and field corn. Where too few cows are kept to consume the silage fast 

 enough to prevent its spoiling, or where silage is not available for any 

 other reason, the wise dairyman will provide a well-planned succession 



125 Vt. Rpt. 1896. 1;:7 N. Y. (Cornell) Bui. 183. 



128 Tn formation to the authors. u>8 Colo. Bui. 73. 



