436 Feeds and Feeding. 



the concentrates the herd consumes. Growing the needed feeding 

 stuffs will increase labor and fertilizer bills, but such shifting of ex- 

 penditure should prove highly economical in the end. Indian corn 

 tiourishes over a large portion of the United States, and one or more 

 kinds of legumes can be successfully grown on every farm. By the 

 judicious and generous use of these two best allies of the dairyman, 

 the great burden of the feed bills can be lessened. 



708. The corn plant. — Wherever it flourishes the dairyman should 

 make the largest possible use of the corn plant. The manure from 

 the stable, wisely fortified with commercial fertilizers, will so enrich 

 the fields that each acre will produce from 12 to 20 tons of green 

 forage bearing a great wealth of ears rich in grain. Most of the 

 crop, still green, should go directly into the silo, which should hold 

 sufficient silage for 6 months winter and 2 months midsummer feed- 

 ing, allowing 40 lbs, for each cow daily. A portion of the crop, cured 

 in the shock, will provide corn meal and some stover. (Ch. IX) 



709. Legume hay. — Almost everywhere in America the Indian- 

 corn plant provides the cheapest, most abundant, and most palatable 

 carbohydrates the farmer can produce, but it falls short in furnish- 

 ing protein, so vital in milk production. Happily at least one of 

 the legumes — alfalfa, clover, cowpeas, or vetch — can be grown, on 

 every American farm to supply the deficiency. The dairyman who 

 grows great crops of corn for silage must also have broad fields of 

 clover, alfalfa, or some other legume to help round out the ration. 

 With corn silage, the daily legume hay provision should be not less 

 than 15 lbs. per cow for 6 months. With rich corn silage and all the 

 palatable legume hay the cow will eat, not over 4 or 5 lbs. of ex- 

 pensive concentrates are needed to complete a well-balanced liberal 

 ration. The findings of Hart and McCollum of the Wisconsin Sta- 

 tion, that a cow yielding 30 lbs. of milk daily requires a minimum of 

 not less than 2 ounces of lime a day, gives a new value to legume hay, 

 which is rich in lime. (89, Ch. XII) 



710. Roots. — Since roots may successfully replace half the grain 

 usually fed to cows even when corn silage is fed, (661) the dairyman 

 who can produce a great tonnage of mangels or rutabagas may still 

 further reduce the concentrates required by his herd. When bran, 

 corn, etc., sold for low prices, the dairyman with a silo could hardly 

 afford to grow roots, but with the advancing prices of good con- 

 centrates many farmers can noAv profitably grow and feed roots. 



To build up the fertility of the fields so that they will econom- 

 ically produce great crops of corn, legumes, and roots will call for 



