212 



Feeds and Feeding. 



cutting and carrying them to the animals, pasturage costing the 

 minimum for labor. During wet spells the palatability of the forage 

 is reduced, and it is difficult to harvest and cart the food to the 

 animals without injury to the land. On the other hand, pastures also 

 suffer while wet. 



327. Blue-grass pasture v. soilage. — At the Wisconsin Station^ the 

 author kept 3 cows during summer on an excellent blue-grass pasture. 

 During the same period 3 other cows were maintained in stable and 

 yard by soilage. The pastured cows consumed the grass from 3.7 

 aeres, while the soiled cows ate the forage from 1.5 acres. The yield 

 of forage was as follows: 



Pounds 



Green clover, 3 cuttings 18,792 



Green fodder corn 2.3,658 



Green oats 2,385 



Total green forage produced 44,835 



Waste from the above 1,655 



Total green forage eaten from 1 . 5 acres 43, 180 ' 



The products obtained were as follows : 



Blue-grass pasture compared with soiling crops. 



This shows that in Wisconsin 1 acre of soilage crops equals about 

 2.5 acres of good blue-grass pasture for feeding dairy cows. (223) 



328. Labor involved. — Many who concede the advantages of soilage 

 are deterred from practicing it because of the large amount of labor 

 required in growing, gathering, and feeding the green forage. Wil- 

 son^ shows that green forage gathered twice each week and spread 

 thinly on the barn floor will keep in good condition until required for 

 feeding. ]\Iost soilage crops can be cut with a mower, gathered by a 

 horse rake, and loaded with a hay loader. Even if pitched by hand, a 

 large quantity of forage can be gathered in a short time. A cow or 

 steer will require from 60 to 100 lbs. of green forage daily. 



329. Partial soilage. — So revolutionary is complete soilage that few 

 farmers are prepared to adopt it. On the other hand, partial soilage 



Ept. 1885. 



Iowa Bui. 15. 



