22 



FEEDING WITH SUGAR BEETS, SUGAR, ETC. 



ducers, how certain rations are adapted to one breed of cows 

 and not suited to another, etc., are questions, to fully discuss 

 which would demand much space at present simply the more 

 important facts are to be considered. 



Under the best regimen concentrates are combined with 

 roughage. It is doubtful if these mixtures would have been 

 suited to the primitive cow; they are the requisites which are 

 the outcome of the modern and special environment in which 

 the milch cow is now living. The cow in its wild state had 

 only her calf to feed; the demands for surplus milk for dairying 

 purposes have resulted in an abnormal increase of the udder and 

 its secretion, and to meet the demands there is an important 

 need of some additional digestible substances that the roughage 

 alone can not supply. 



While it is generally recommended that a cow shall have at 

 its disposal all that she will eat, the practice is a mistake after the 

 cow has reached the maximum flow of milk, as the animal will 

 then tend to fatten, and this will be followed by a reduction in 

 the daily flow of milk. 



No animal can adapt itself with better advantage, owing to its 

 special digestive arrangement, to varied feeding than can a milch 

 cow. A fact not to be overlooked is the possibility of its being 

 able to use the roughage, and thus no other nutriment is re- 

 quired. While apparently protein, fat and carbohydrates are not 

 directly needed for milk production, they, nevertheless, play some 

 important mysterious role, as the fact of the cow losing weight 

 when they are directly lacking shows without further argument 

 that they are essential. Carbohydrates certainly pla} r an impor- 

 tant role, but they cannot alone make up for the deficiency. 

 Most feeders admit that if a cow will not respond to increased feed- 

 ing by an increased supply of milk the animal had better be sold. 



The question of feeding milch cows is a subject that interests 

 every farmer of the country. If his land belongings consist of 

 but a few acres he generally finds it to his advantage to have a 

 cow furnishing the milk for his family use. The maintenance 

 of the animal under the best economical conditions may be 

 better realized with sugar-factory residuums than is possible 

 with any other single feed he may have at his disposal. The 



