BREEDS OF DAIRY CATTLE 167 



age. On the other hand, while no silage is fed this amount may be 

 increased to from 15 to 20 pounds per day. (Tenn. B. Vol. 17 

 No. 4.) 



Mangolds, Carrots, Sugar Beets and Rutabagas. Where silage 

 is not used the dairyman should provide succulence for the winter 

 ration in the shape of some kind of roots. The three which suggest 

 themselves as probably yielding the most value for the labor and 

 money expended in growing them are mangold, sugar beets and car- 

 rots. Turnips and rutabagas may be used in the dairy but always 

 with extreme caution, because of their liability to impart an unpleas- 

 ant taint to the milk and to the products made from it. It is true 

 undoubtedly that rutabagas can be fed to dairy cows in such a way 

 as to avoid this taint in the milk. They must be fed after milking. 

 Precautions as to manner and amount have to be taken and some- 

 times these precautions are apt to be neglected. The result is a sam- 

 ple of butter injured and perhaps a customer permanently offended. 

 The reasonable use of other roots is attended with no such danger, 

 and for this reason they are recommended. The area devoted to 

 them need not be large, but roots add a needed variety to a winter 

 ration, whether a silo is used or not. They repay their cost in the 

 increased healthfulness of the cow as well as in the butter produced. 

 A comparison was made of the cost of growing and of the yields of 

 ox-heart carrots, yellow tankard mangolds, long red mangolds and 

 rutabagas. The yield per acre were as follows: 



YIELD PER DRY MATTER 

 CROPS. ACRE. PER ACRE. 



Carrots 28,836 3,321.90 



Long red mangolds 25,616 3,381.30 



Tankard mangolds 21,744 2,111.30 



Rutabagas 31,028 3,741.98 



Sugar beets 28,320 5,346.80 



The largest yields, both in gross weight and dry matter are 

 given by the rutabagas, the long red mangolds following next. The 

 average yield per acre of four acres of sugar beets grown on land 

 adjoining the root field was, as given in the table, over fourteen 

 tons per acre containing 5,346.80 Ibs. of dry matter. (Mich. B. 

 234.) 



Succulence. The June pasture which forces every cow to her 

 best yield, furnishes a succulent ration, and for best results from 

 the cows through the winter, succulent feed must be given. On June 

 pasture alone a cow will give a heavy yield. Cut the grass, dry it care- 

 fully, so that water only is lost, give this dried grass to the cow as her 

 only feed, and she will soon go dry. The grass has lost its succulence. 

 We know the value of fruit and vegetables to man in winter, and dur- 

 ing this time succulent food is equally valuable to the cow. It may 

 be secured either from ensilage or roots. When the first expense can 

 be afforded, the silo is the cheapest and best way of providing green 

 feed for the winter, and corn the best crop for silage. Where the 

 dairyman has no silo, mangel-wurzels or sugar beets should be raised 

 to furnish succulent winter feed. 



