274 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



feeders and most successful dairymen feed some grain 

 throughout the season. Some practice feeding silage in 

 summer very successfully, and certainly at a less expense 

 than soiling entails. It is believed, however, that, in order 

 to be successful, silage feeding in summer must be practised 

 on at least a moderately large scale, and so is not practicable 

 for the small or average feeder. 



Hay may be fed successfully, and should be fed rather 

 than let milch cows go hungry. On arable farms hay forms 

 an expensive feed, as a rule, and economy dictates only a 

 sparing use of it at any season. More than this, cows do 

 not do so well on hay in summer as on a more succulent diet. 



The average dairyman, whose farm may be tilled without 

 great labor, will find it good practice to grow green crops 

 as an adjunct to his summer feed. 



SoiLiNCx Crops. 



Hye. — One of the earliest soiling crops is rye. It may 

 be grown so as to become available as a feed by the 10th of 

 May. A succession may be secured by sowing at intervals 

 from September 10 to the middle of October. Feeding 

 should commence before the heads are in sight, as rye rapidly 

 deteriorates as a fodder and becomes unpalatable after it 

 gets headed out. At its best rye is a very watery feed, not 

 especially nutritious, and requires supplementary fodders 

 of a dryer and more concentrated nature. Its principal 

 value as a feed lies in its early appearance, hence it should 

 be left out of a partial soiling system for late summer. 



Clover. — Few forage plants surpass the medium red clover 

 in practical utility. It possesses a value not likely to be 

 over-estimated, being palatable and nutritious to the animal, 

 and beneficial in its effect upon the land. Red clover easily 

 follows rye, makes a heavier growth of forage, and may be 

 cut two or three times during the season. 



I would advise feedins; clover with a certain degree of 

 moderation, and preferably in conjunction with other fod- 

 ders, e.g., millet or corn. Being very rich in protein, 

 clover requires less of concentrates to complete the ration 

 than most coarse fodders, hence the supplementary feed may 

 be of a more starchy nature. Corn meal goes very well 



