DAIRY CATTLE 



447 



almost every case. At Cornell univer- 

 sity, it appeared that a medium ration 

 gave a better yield of milk than a nar- 

 row or wide ration. As the result of a 

 continued study of narrow and wide 

 rations at Storrs experiment station, it 

 was found impossible to assume that the 

 cost of a quart of milk was much influ- 

 enced by changes in rations suggested 

 by the experiment station authorities, 

 which in all cases contained more pro- 

 tein than was being fed by the dairy- 

 men. 



The net cost of a quart of milk was 

 less with the recommended than with 

 the original rations fed by the dairymen, 

 if account be taken of the increased 

 value of the manure obtained from a 

 narrow ration. It is believed, therefore, 

 that rations containing more protein 

 than those ordinarily fed to dairy cows, 

 are the more economical of the two, but 

 that, in this statement of relative econ- 

 omy, more emphasis should be laid on 

 the additional value of the manure ob- 

 tained from the more nitrogenous ra- 

 tions. 



ROOTS AND FRUIT FOR MILCH 

 COWS 



In order to produce large quantities 

 of milk in an economical way, it is 

 necessary to add considerable succulence 

 to the rations for dairy cows. This may 

 be accomplished by the use of roots, 

 windfall fruit, soiling crops, silage or 

 pasture. 



Apples — This fruit, especially wind- 

 falls or diseased specimens are often 

 fed to dairy cows, but like other fresh 

 fruit, they have but little feeding value. 

 Their chief value is in adding palatabil- 

 ity and succulence to the ration as a 

 whole. In Canada, apples appeared to 

 be inferior to apple pomace for main- 

 taining the milk flow, and in some cases 

 apples appeared to lend an undesirable 

 flavor to the milk. 



The most extensive study of apple 

 pomace for cows has been made by Hills 

 in Vermont. In a series of tests ex- 

 tending over four years, it appears that 

 apple pomace is about equal to corn 

 silage as a feed for dairy cows, when 

 used in rations of about 15 pounds a 

 day. Even when rations of 24 to 35 

 pounds a day were fed, no bad results 

 were produced, either in the cows or in 

 the milk, and the pomace appeared to 

 be an economical feed in rations of that 

 size. No special care is necessary in 



feeding apple pomace in rations of mod- 

 erate size. Hills considers that pomace 

 at $1 a ton is a bargain and that it still 

 remains equal to corn ensilage when the 

 price is considerably higher. Hills, 

 therefore, recommends its use among 

 dairymen, but suggests that cows should 

 gradually be made accustomed to it. In 

 a number of tests, apple pomace silage 

 made more milk and butter than imma- 

 ture corn silage, and the butter was not 

 unfavorably affected. 



Artichokes—In a test at the Vermont 

 experiment station, these roots showed 

 a feeding value about equal to corn si- 

 lage. Artichokes are more generally fed 

 to swine than to cows, for the reason 

 that swine are able to harvest them 

 without any expense. 



Beets — Field beets or garden beets, in 

 experiments in Ohio, made more milk 

 than corn silage, but did not sustain 

 the weight of the cows so well. In other 

 tests, also, beets seemed to be slightly 

 superior to silage. They tended to in- 

 crease the consumption of other feeds, 

 which may be interpreted as meaning 

 simply an improvement of the appetite. 

 As the result of all experiments with 

 field beets, it is concluded that they are 

 about equal to corn silage for milk pro- 

 duction, but somewhat more expensive 

 to raise. 



Cabbage — This vegetable is sometimes 

 fed to cows. It was greedily eaten by 

 cows in a test made in Iowa, and in- 

 creased the yield of milk and butter. 

 The quality of the butter from cabbage, 

 however, was somewhat inferior and the 

 butter did not keep well. 



Carrots — These roots are fed to all 

 kinds of farm animals as an appetizer 

 and to add succulence to the ration. 

 When xised in Massachusetts to replace 

 a portion of the hay ration, they in- 

 creased the milk yield more than corn 

 silage did under similar conditions. 



Mangel-wurzel—This root has been 

 found equal to sugar beets as a milk 

 producer in Canadian experiments. In 

 Iowa, more milk was obtained from 

 mangel-wurzels than from sugar beets, 

 red table beets or turnips. The fat per- 

 centage of the milk, however, was lower 

 than from turnips. In Massachusetts, 

 mangel-wurzels proved inferior to corn 

 silage for milk production, while in 

 Michigan they seemed to lessen some- 

 what the digestibility of other parts of 

 the ration. 



