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BULLETIN 501, XJ. S, DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



The question of providing feed is different on each of the two gen- 

 eral types of farms that mamtain dairy cows. Just how near the 

 speciahzed dairyman should come to growing all the feed required 

 by his dairy herd is a question of mdividual business management.^ 

 One man may find it most profitable to grow aU the feed required, 

 while another may increase his profits by supplementing the income 

 from cows with crop sales and purchase a part of the feed. In a few 

 locahties in the United States crops may be selected that will not 

 only yield a product for which there is ready sale at good prices, but 

 also leave on the farm much feedable material. Sweet com is an 

 example of this type. 



Fig. 5.— a silo is usually a profitable investment in connection with the feeding of dairy cows. 



As a matter of fact, there was a wide variation on the four farms 

 studied as to the practice of growing or buying the feed. On the 

 Wisconsin farm concentrates were purchased in addition to feeding 

 all the crops raised. The practice on the Michigan farm was similar 

 in this respect to the Wisconsin farm, except that more feed was 

 purchased, owmg to the absence of sufficient pasture. On the other 

 hand, the practice on the Pennsylvania farm was to sell wheat and 

 timothy and to buy some concentrates. No roughage was sold from 

 the North Carolina farm, where cotton and tobacco were important 

 cash crops. The dairy cow ration was completed with purchased 

 feeds. 



iSeed, p. 34. 



