132 FEEDING FOR QUANTITY. 



ards the close of this season, and before the grass oi 

 the pastures is sufficiently grown to make it judicious 

 to turn out the cows, the best dairymen provide a sup- 

 ply of green fodder in the shape of winter rye, which, 

 if cut while it is tender and succulent, and before it is 

 half grown, will be greatly relished. Unless cut young, 

 however, its stalk soon becomes hard and unpalatable. 



Having stated briefly the general principles of feed- 

 ing cows for the dairy, it is proper to give the state- 

 ments of successful practical dairymen, both as corrob- 

 orating what has already been said, and as showing the 

 difference in practice in feeding and managing with 

 reference to the specific objects of dairy farming. And 

 first, a farmer of Massachusetts, supplying milk for the 

 Boston market, and feeding for that object, says : " For 

 thirty cows, cut with a machine thirty bushels for one 

 feed ; one third common English hay, one third salt hay, 

 and one third rye or barley straw ; add thirty quarts of 

 wheat bran or shorts, and ten quarts of oat and corn 

 meal moistened with water. One bushel of this mixture 

 is given to each cow in the morning, and the same 

 quantity at noon and in the evening. In addition to 

 this, a peck of mangold wurzel is given to each cow 

 per day. This mode of feeding has been found to pro- 

 duce nearly as much milk as the best grass feed in sum- 

 mer. When no wheat-bran or any kind of meal is given, 

 the hay is fed without cutting." 



Another excellent farmer, of the western part of the 

 same state, devoting his attention to the manufacture 

 of cheese, and the successful competitor for the first 

 prize of the state society for dairies, says of his feeding : 

 " My pastures are upland, and yield sweet feed. I fed, 

 in the month of June, all the whey from the milk made 

 into cheese, without any meal. In September, my pas- 

 tures being very much dried up, I fed all the whey. 



