30 



some grain throughout the season. Some practise feeding silage 

 in summer very successfully, and certainly at a less expense than 

 soiling entails. It is believed, however, that in order to be success- 

 ful, silage feeding in summer must be practised on at least a moder- 

 ately 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. 



Soiling Crops. 



Rye. — 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 Septem- 

 ber 10 to the middle of October. Feeding should commence be- 

 fore 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. 



Glover. — Few forage plants surpass the medium red clover in 

 practical utility. It possesses a value not likely to be overesti- 

 mated, being palatable and nutritious to the animal, and benefi- 

 cial 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 feeding clover with a certain degree of modera- 

 tion, and preferably in conjunction with other fodders, e.g., millet 

 or corn. Being very rich in protein, clover requires less of con- 

 centrates to complete the ration than most coarse fodders, hence 

 the supplementary feed may be of a more starchy nature. Corn 

 meal goes very well with clover, and the two make a ration well 

 suited to milk production. On account of the difficulty of securing 

 a really good clover hay and the waste and loss so often experi- 

 enced, it seems to be good practice to feed clover green to as great 

 an extent as can be advantageously done. The first cutting of 

 clover comes at a time when pasturage is in full flush and extra 

 forage not so much needed, but the after-cuttings are very accept- 

 able additions to the milch cow's bill of fare. 



