38 FEEDING WITH SUGAR BEETS, SUGAR, ETB. 



salt, the outcome of a faulty practice of mixing this with the 

 ration. When cows have for a time had less salt than they 

 actually need, it should not be introduced suddenly into their 

 ration. 



Mistake in start- To produce an inferior article, as has been frequently done 

 ing a dairy, through the temptations of cheap feed, means no profitable 

 future; hence certain preliminary tests should be made, for 

 competition always exists and the investment may prove a 

 failure, not on account of the inferiority of the product fed, but 

 due solely to neglect of the most elementary principles of cow 

 feeding. With poor stock upon the start, there necessarily 

 follow discouraging results. 



If the animals are not to be stall-fed dt is important, before 

 attempting to start a dairy, to take into consideration the pas- 

 turage facilities in the vicinity, and while in the foregoing damp 

 soils were, to a reasonable extent, recommended, it must not be 

 forgotten that stagnant water is very objectionable, as the milk 

 would certainly be influenced thereby. 



Cooperative j n the West the distances are comparatively greater than in 

 methods. ^ g ag ^. there, as elsewhere, the attempt at cossette utilization 

 on a cooperative basis, if there are not at least 600 cows to 

 form part of the combination at a distance of a few miles, will, 

 upon general principles, never prove a success; under no cir- 

 cumstances should this be done in an amateur way, but the 

 advice of recognized experts, and not of agents representing 

 specialists, should be taken. 



Calculation of Rations for Milch. Cows. 



Preliminary Remarks. 



W T hile in this country most of the directors of our agricultural 

 experiment stations accept the European standards and methods 

 for the calculation of a ration for milch cows, etc., very satis- 

 factory results are obtained by the. so-called empirical sys- 

 tems of feeding. Farmers are too proud to admit that they 

 cannot manage their own dairying establishments without the 

 aid of scientific theories and a ration is compounded by them 

 which yields a given number of quarts of milk per year with 

 considerable profit to all interested. They forget that the 



