16 



N. H. Agricultural Experiment Station 



[Sta. Bull. 273 



To meet these conditions no one rotation system will be satisfactory 

 for all farms. A few systems are suggested in order that one may have 

 some starting point, making adaptations to fit individual conditions. 

 Knowing the amount of roughage necessary for production and main- 

 tenance of the dairy cow. the average yield and digestible nutrients 

 available from the various roughage crops, as well as the total amount 

 and the distribution of labor by individual crops and combinations, the 

 farmer may easily develop a rotation system adapted to his specific 

 needs. 



The simplest cropping system is that of continuous hay. It has, 

 however, definite disadvantages. Of the total labor 32 per cent, occurs 

 in July, or 50 per cent, outside of manure topdressiiig (Fig. 4). Prob- 

 ably the nearest approach to such a system is in the northern part of 

 the State at those elevations where silage is not grown, and where soils 

 and moisture favor long hay rotations. Because of the large area to 

 handle in a short period, either labor cost is higher than necessary, or 

 the extended period of harvest produces a poorer quality of hay. Under 

 such a system 60 acres of permanent hay on the basis of yields ob- 

 tained in the survey would provide 85.8 tons of hay or roughage for 29 

 cows, a two-man herd. 



This 85.8 tons of roughage would be largely grass hay with a di- 

 gestible nutrient content of 82,650 pounds.* (Table 14) This same 

 area in hay would require 536 hours of labor. Two men witli oppor- 

 tunity between chores for an 8-hour day in the field would require 33.4 

 working days to harvest the crop. Ordinarily, not more than two- 



Jam. 



Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sirr. Oct Nov. 



Fig. 4. Percentage distribution of labor on hay. 



* Henry and Morrison "Feeds and Feeding," Table III, page 728. 



