RIGHT FEEDING 35 



West alfalfa "has revolutionized sheep fattening as an industry." It may 

 be grazed to some extent, but it is really a hay crop. Alfalfa is invaluable 

 for soiling, as so often practiced in the economical East. It furnishes 

 a nearly continuous summer forage. Alfalfa can even be insilaged; but 

 better leave that to corn, and cure the alfalfa. The first crop coming 

 at a rainy season is a little hard to cure, but the use of a hay cap will save 

 that trouble largely. Once well started it is a sure crop. 



Advice: Study alfalfa. 



ROOTS AND We, in the United States, have not learned to rely on 

 TUBERS roots and tubers for feeding livestock, in spite of the 



excellent showing of Canadian, English, and Continental 

 European feeders. The truth is roots are expensive, on account of the 

 high per cent, of water. Of course, based on dry matter, a pound of dry 

 matter in roots would have about the same value as a pound of corn, 

 wheat, oats or barley. The animals like roots and tubers, to be sure just 

 see that dairy cow go for those carrots. They have a tonic value, as well 

 as being nutritious. Usually they are cut or sliced and put into the feed 



Home-made Root Chopper 



boxes with a little meal over them. In Canada and England the plan is to 

 pulp them up and spread in alternate layers, first pulp then some cut straw 

 or hay a sort of scalloped stock-food, just as the housewife scallops 

 oysters. This is a good way to get the fullest possible use of straw; and 

 with only a small amount of concentrate used, the expense is not so great 

 as might be, either. There is plenty of room for experimenting with roots 

 for livestock; for we have yet to equal root-feeding countries in the general 

 average of beef and mutton quality. 



Note one fact in root feeding: It tends to a more watery flesh, which 

 is a better preparation for fattening; and is always an advantage for breed- 

 ing animals. If then we must be slow to utilize roots on account of the 

 expense in feeding, it will certainly pay to consider them more fully for 

 use for breeding animals, and for preparing animals for that final fatten- 

 ing or "finish," since the watery tissue is a real advantage with both of 

 these classes, the "breeders" and "feeders." 



1. Feeding the Dairy Cow 



ALWAYS The dairy cow is a big feeder. But if you give her legumes 

 HUNGRY such as alfalfa, clover, etc., rich in crude protein and mineral 

 matter, you can do with less concentrates; and these are the 

 expensive feed for the dairyman. 



With legumes so used, it is best to use also a succulent roughage, such 

 as silage, or palatable nourishing roots, after the European system. This 

 in turn reduces the amount of straw, corn stover or low grade hay to be 

 used, and of course relieves the cow of just that much extra strain in diges- 

 tion, 



