Feed and Care of the Dairy Cow. 439 



It will be observed that both the roughages and concentrates are 

 divided into three classes on the basis of digestible nutrients, palata- 

 bility, and general usefulness. When the crude-protein-poor rough- 

 ages of Class I are fed, then as an offset the protein-rich concentrates 

 from Class VI should as a rule be taken. When Class III, which 

 furnishes roughage of the highest quality, is fed, the concentrates of 

 Class IV, which are only fair in crude protein and rich in carbo- 

 hydrates, should largely furnish the concentrates. In general, crude- 

 protein-rich concentrates in large quantity must be fed with rough- 

 ages which are poor in crude protein, while crude-protein-rich rough- 

 ages should be supplemented with concentrates rich in carbohydrates 

 rather than rich in crude protein. The several divisions of the table 

 are more or less arbitrary. The last roughages listed in Class I 

 might go with Class II, and roots and corn silage might form a sep- 

 arate class because of their succulence and great palatability. This 

 classification is sufficiently complete, however, to give the intelligent 

 student a general conception of how to properly combine nitrogenous 

 and carbohydrate-rich feeding stuffs into rations that will fully and 

 economically nourish the dairy cow. 



The provident dairyman will grow an abundance of the low-priced 

 useful roughages of Class II, especially corn for forage and silage, as 

 well as for grain. He will also grow one or more of the invaluable 

 legumes in Class III in such abundance that he will need but the 

 minimum of expensive concentrates to complete the balanced ration. 

 To illustrate the use of the preceding classification table, three 

 rations are given in the table on the next page. 



In the first ration where timothy hay from Class II supplies the 

 roughage, 11 Ibs. of expensive concentrates from Classes IV and VI 

 are necessary to furnish the additional nutrients required. Even then 

 this expensive ration is not satisfactory, for timothy hay is a poor 

 cow feed at best and a large amount of concentrates is used. 



The second ration with clover hay from Class III and ground corn 

 from Class IV is better and less expensive than the first. Such a ra- 

 tion is theoretically ample, but there should be a larger variety of 

 feeding stuffs to make it entirely satisfactory. 



The last ration may be called ideal. Drawing legume hay from 

 Class III and corn silage from Class II, the combination of rough- 

 age is most palatable and acceptable to the cow, while there is further 

 required only 4 Ibs. of concentrates from IV and VI to balance the 

 ration. This last ration is less expensive and more desirable than 

 the second one, and far less expensive and much more desirable than 



