6 FARMERS' BULLETIN 743. 



H 



ducers the percentage of protein in the grain mixture should be 

 somewhat greater. 



The following-named mixtures are suggested for supplementing 

 pasture without other roughage: 



Mixture No. 1: 



Ground oats 100 pounds 



Wheat bran 100 prfunds 



Corn meal 50 pounds 



Mixture No. 2: 



Wheat bran 100 pounds 



Per cent digestible protein, 10.3. 



Per cent digestible protein, 12.7. 



Corn meal 100 pounds 



Cottonseed meal 25 pounds 



Mixture No. 3: 



Corn-and-cob meal- - 250 P^ Per cent digestible protein, 15.5. 



Cottonseed meal 100 poundsj 



Mixture No. 4: 



Wheat bran 100 poundsj 



Gluten feed 50poundsl Per cent digestible protein, 13.6. 



Corn meal 50 pounds) 



SOILING CROPS. 



Pastures, except where irrigation is practiced, are so dependent 

 upon rainfall that there is practically sure to be some period each 

 season when they are short. It is a well-known fact among dairy- 

 men that if a cow, for lack of proper feed, falls off in her flow of 

 milk for any period of time it is difficult or impossible to bring her 

 back to a full flow until she again freshens. To carry the cows 

 over this period on grain alone is expensive ; consequently, the sup- 

 plementing of pasture with soiling crops is becoming much more 

 common and is growing in favor. In fact, in many sections it is 

 extremely difficult to keep a herd in maximum production through- 

 out the summer without furnishing some supplemental feed. Un- 

 less an abundance of pasture is available, there is practically sure 

 to be a shortage toward the end of the season. Special crops can 

 be grown for these shortages, but they usually involve added ex- 

 pense and inconvenience compared with standard farm crops. Sec- 

 ond-growth red clover, oats, peas, or alfalfa are excellent. Corn is 

 available in August and September. These crops are usually a 

 part of the regular cropping system of a well-conducted dairy farm. 



The advantages of soiling crops as a supplement to pasture are 

 that large quantities of forage can be grown on a relatively small 

 area, because it is frequently possible to harvest more than one crop 

 in a season on land used for soiling. Another advantage is the pal- 

 atability and succulence possessed by such crops. With their use 

 pasture need not be cropped so closely and less feed is wasted through 

 tramping by the cattle. By judicious application of the soiling sys- 



