BULLETIN 955, U. S. DEPAETME:NT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table 1 shows that a large quantity of grain and small quantities 

 of dry roughage and silage were fed for each 100 pounds of mdlk pro- 

 duced in winter. A large quantity of grain was fed in summer also. 

 The amount of grain per cow per year was not excessive, but the small 

 quantity of milk produced tended to increase the grain per 100 pounds 

 of milk. The quantity of grain, however, could have been materially 

 reduced had more roughage been fed. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE HERDS. 



During the first year the 17 herds had a total of 452 cows with an 

 average yearly production of 2,994 pounds of milk, testing 4.6 per 

 cent butterfat. The second year's study included 440.6 cows with 

 an average yearly production of 3,263 pounds of milk having an 

 average butterfat test of 4.2 per cent. 



A large proportion of the cows were so-called ''native" stock. 

 Many of the herds, however, had cows showing some Jersey charac- 

 teristics, and the milk production of most of the herds is being 

 increased by the use of purebred bulls of the dairy breeds. The 

 eradication of the cattle tick from this section has also increased the 

 yearly milk production of the cows. 



REQUIREMENTS FOR KEEPING A COW ONE YEAR. 



The quantity of milk produced, as shown in Table 2, was slightly 

 greater in summer than in winter, but the quantity of grain fed per 

 cow was practically the same for both seasons. 



The beneficial effect of pasture is shown in Table 2 in the compara- 

 tive quantities of dry roughage and silage fed in the winter and 

 Slimmer seasons. It is the custom to allow some of the herds to 

 range over the " Piney- Woods " pasture, which furnishes fair grazing. 



Owing to the mild, open winters, the quantity of bedding used is so 

 small as to be negligible. 



CREDITS FOR MANURE AND CALVES. 



The method followed for obtaining the value of manure takes into 

 consideration the fertilizing constituents of the feeds fed, as obtained 

 from standard tables showing the fertilizing constituents returned 

 in the individual feeds consumed. 



About three-fourths of the protein in the feeds fed to dairy cows 

 passes through the body and is voided in the manure. This protein 

 is a source of nitrogen which is valuable as fertilizer. The same is 

 also true of phosphoric acid and potash. Practically every dairy 

 farm has use for all manure voided by the herd. The commercial 

 value of the manure depends upon the use to which it is put. The 

 returns in dollars depend upon the increase in the crops raised and in 

 the amount received from the sale of these crops. These facts may 



