14 BULLETIN" 615, U. S-. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



pasture May 15. From November 15 to May 15 each cow received the 



following : 



Stalks 2 acres, at $0.75 an acre. 



Clover hay la tons, at $8.00 a ton. 



Corn Si bushels, at $0.60 a bushel. 



Oat straw 1 ton, at $1 a ton. 



The winter feed bill amounted to $16.40. This ration is more 

 moderate and better balanced than that fed on Farms No. 1 and No. 

 2. However, the amount of clover hay could have been reduced three- 

 fourths of a ton, or to one-half the amount fed, and the corn to at 

 least 1 bushel, if the oat straw had been properly fed and not wasted. 

 The cows then would have received a daily ration of corn 1 pound, 

 clover hay 12| pounds, and oat straw 16| pounds, which should have 

 been sufficient for their needs. In fact, the corn probably could 

 have been safely reduced to 1 bushel and used only during the coldest 

 weather. 



This saving of three-fourths of a ton of ha} 7 and 1 bushel of corn 

 would have amounted to $6.6'0 per head and reduced the winter feed 

 bill to $9.70. Because of the very poor calf crop, each calf on this 

 farm had to be charged with the expense of maintaining 1| cows, 

 besides their proportionate share of the bull charge, and thus their 

 cost at weaning time was $52.60 per head. This cost would have 

 been reduced to $42.25 if the saving above suggested had been 

 effected. 



FARM NO. 4. 



In eastern Kansas there is a region, covering several counties, that 

 is very much broken and where a limestone formation crops out in 

 many places. These hills, because of the numerous limestone out- 

 crops, are devoted to pasture. Interspersed between the hills are 

 valleys of rich bottom land, where much alfalfa is grown. A large 

 part of this alfalfa is fed to the cattle that run on these pastures dur- 

 ing the summer months. The cows in this region are wintered 

 largely on alfalfa, and as this hay usually is very cheap, extravagant 

 quantities sometimes are fed. To contrast the practices followed in 

 this region with those just, described for Iowa, a 335-acre farm may 

 be cited. This farm had 130 acres in alfalfa, 20 acres in corn, 120 

 acres in hill pasture, and 60 acres in waste land and timber. The 

 breeding herd consisted of a pure-bred bull and 30 high-grade cows, 

 which dropped 27 calves. The cows were taken off pasture November 

 1 and fed until May 1, receiving a ration of one-half acre of stover 

 and 3 tons of alfalfa per head. The stover was valued at $2 an 

 acre and the alfalfa at $5 a ton, the total winter feed bill being $16. 



More hay was fed than the cows really needed. Indeed, if the hay 

 had been decreased 1 ton, the ration still would have been adequate, 

 providing sufficient digestible nutrients and more than double the 



