156 



the meantime, the same cows returned a net income of over $47, as com- 

 pared with $2.47 for the month previous when butter was two cents per 

 pound more. 



So we find many illustrations along that line which show that one of 

 the greatest losses of our feeding comes through the feeding of all cows 

 alike, regardless of production. We find we must feed the animals for main- 

 tenance plus the production, because the dairy cow is a small manufacturing 

 plant. We don't want to feed the inferior machine twice as much as it needs 

 and thereby waste 50 ner cent, and the good machine must have that which 

 she can handle most efficiently and economically. So we find if we feed 

 about one pound of grain to each three or four pounds of milk produced we 

 get much better returns from the dairy cows that are milked in this state 

 and ours, and throughout the country. Feeding in proportion to production 

 is all important. You find if you travel from coast to coast very few feeds 

 are used out on the Pacific coast that are used on the Atlantic coast, but you 

 will find the same principles apply. You will find the same characteristics 

 and you will find the feeds must be palatable, you find that the cost of feed 

 must be emphasized, you find the effect of feed upon the system must be 

 given cajeful consideration if we are going to get returns. We find a ration 

 of about four parts of corn to about three parts of ground oats and two parts 

 oil meal or cottonseed meal used in connection with your corn silage, your 

 clover or alfalfa, and fed about one pound of the grain mixture to each three 

 or four pounds of milk will give good returns. 



ji 



THE QUESTION OF HEALTH. 



There are just one or two other points I wish to bring out in conclusion. 

 I do not want to bore you to death with rambling remarks. We find that not 

 only must we consider the breeding, the weeding out and the feeding, but 

 we also have the question of health to consider. We are all on about the 

 same basis. We have the federal accredited herd system that is coming into 

 more popular favor throughout the country. People are coming to realize 

 the advantages of having the herds federally accredited, and put upon the 

 basis where they know the animals have been tested by competent veteri- 

 narians. We find that not only must we eliminate the tuberculosis in the 

 herds, but we must pay attention to abortion and other troubles. We find 

 that a business dairyman who takes sanitary measures, who is careful in 

 isolating animals which had just been brought in the herd, who tests his 

 herd, has very little trouble along these lines. We realize that this is some- 

 thing that must be given consideration whenever animals are brought into 

 the herd, and must be carefully considered in connection with the manage- 

 ment of that herd. 



In addition to these points there are some things that affect the pro- 

 duction materially other than feeding. We realize proper milking of the 

 cows has much to do with the production. A man might have an expert 

 feeder, the best in the country, and yet put a poor milker on the job and his 

 cows won't produce what they should. The cows must be properly milked if 

 they are going to keep up the production through a period of time. 



Then we find in the summer time a great many cows decline in the milk 

 flow because they are forced to contend with the heat and to fight the flies. 

 We find the successful dairy farmers all over this country are paying atten- 

 tion to giving the cows some protection from the heat and flies in the sum- 

 mer. There are many ways of doing this, therefore they are getting better 

 returns from the feed consumed by those cows. 



We find regularity in feeding and regularity in milking are emphasized 

 by successful dairy farmers. 



Then there is the matter of kindness. We find some farmers who become 

 irritated very easily and quickly, who curry the cows with the milk stool 

 instead of the curry comb and brushes. We find those people seldom stay in 

 the business very long or seldom are successful. We find the dairy cow must 

 be treated kindly, must be handled in an efficient, quiet manner, if we are 

 going to get the best results. There is no hocus-pocus or slight-of-hand trick 



