HOME-GROWN DAIRY FOODS FOR WINTER USE 155 



home-grown rations not mentioned above, inasmuch 

 as there was a wide margin between the actual cost 

 of these foods and the market price. For example, 

 the crimson clover hay was grown in the corn as a 

 catch crop, costing $4 per ton, hence in selling it to 

 the dairy for $12 per ton (the price used in calcula- 

 ting the cost of the ration) there was a gain of $8 per 

 ton. An average stand of crimson clover will yield 

 two tons of hay per acre, which at $8 would make the 

 gain per acre 200 per cent, over the cost. The gain 

 per acre for alfalfa hay was even greater, amounting 

 to 38.62 when sold to the dairy for $14 per ton, the 

 price used in calculating the cost of the alfalfa ra- 

 tion. While it will usually pay most dairymen, and 

 pay them well, to purchase some fine feeds in the 

 form of cottonseed meal and other concentrates, the 

 fact cannot be too strongly emphasized that it pays 

 to grow a large proportion of the ration on the farm, 

 and that this practice results in reducing the cost 

 of milk and butter production. 



Illustrating how losses in dairying may be due to 

 purchasing expensive feeds. One dairyman was 

 found complaining that dairying did not pay, al- 

 though he had fairly good cows and fed an abun- 

 dance of good food. On examining his conditions 

 it was shown that during the month of January he 

 milked 33 cows yielding an average of 2 gallons of 

 milk daily, which sold for 17^ cents per gallon. His 

 daily ration consisted of 10 pounds mixed hay, 15 

 pounds corn stover, 35 pounds corn silage, 2 pounds 

 wheat bran, 2 pounds buffalo gluten, 3 pounds corn 

 bran, 2 pounds cottonseed meal, 2 pounds beet pulp, 



