The importance of a serious and careful consideration of the present 

 condition of our fodder supplies, from both above stated sources, Jorces 

 itself from day to day more, not only iqjon the attention of every 

 farmer, but of all parties interested in the support of our animal 

 industry. 



The controlling influence of the temporary local market cost of 

 some of our most prominent current fodder urticles on the cost of the 

 production of milk and meat has been for years pointed out in our 

 bulletins and annual reports in connection with a description of 

 numerous feeding experiments with milch cows, growing steers, 

 lambs and pigs. An examination of our previous statements con- 

 cerning the influence of the particular kind of feed stuffs used in the 

 composition of the daily fodder rations on the market cost as well as 

 on the net cost of the feed consumed in the operation cannot fail to 

 show some striking instances proving in a marked degree the pre- 

 viously pointedout circumstance. 



As the fodder for our farm live stock comes from two different 

 sources, of equal importance, as far as variety, economy and 

 efficiency is concerned, it seems but proper to consider our chances 

 for the improvement of our fodder supply under two separate 

 headings, namely : 



1. Home Raised Fodder Articles. 



2. Commercial Feed Stuffs. 



1. HOME RAISED FODDER ARTICLES. 



On various previous occasions, and in particular in bulletin No. 36, 

 an attempt was made to show that an increase in the production of 

 cultivated annual fodder crops, aside from Indian corn or maize, 

 will tend to increase in an economical way the general productiveness 

 of our farm lands in case of a mixed system of farm industry. The 

 introduction of a greater variety of reputed fodder crops — in partic- 

 ular of the clover family-Leguminosae, it was stated, would prove with 

 us, as it had proved elsewhere, an efficient means to increase not 

 only in an economical way the general productiveness of our farm 

 lands, but tend to cheapen the cost of feed for all kinds of farm live 

 stock. A short abstract from the above-stated Bulletin may suffice 

 on this occasion to show the standpoint assumed in the matter. 



" A careful inquiry into the history of agriculture has shown that 

 the original productiveness of farm lands in all civilized countries, 



