394 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



Therefore for the best permanent pasture a mixture of grasses and 

 clovers should be seeded. (326) Bed clover makes excellent pasture for 

 dairy cows, tho care must be taken to avoid bloat. (348) With alfalfa 

 there is much more danger of bloat, except in a few districts. (340) 

 The carrying capacity of pastures of course varies widely, depending on 

 the soil and climatic factors and especially on how wisely the pasture 

 has been handled. (327) If no soiling crops or summer silage are pro- 

 vided for periods of drought, 1.5 to 2.5 acres of pasture should be pro- 

 vided per cow, but if such additional feed is furnished, the pasture al- 

 lowance can be reduced to 1 acre per cow or even less. Tho dairy cows 

 have been maintained for several years without much pasture, or even 

 with none at all, this practice is usually uneconomical and, moreover, does 

 not promote the health of the animals. 



Many farmers make the mistake of turning their cattle on pasture too 

 early in the spring, before the forage is well started. This not only 

 reduces the yield of forage for the rest of the season, but is apt to 

 cause a fall in the milk yield of the cows, for such pasturage in earliest 

 spring is so watery that they cannot consume enough of the diluted feed 

 to maintain their production. The use of grain and soiling crops to 

 supplement pasture is discussed in Chapter XXIV. (659-60) 



