152 THE BUSINESS OF DAIRYING 



value of such home-grown crops as cowpea silage 

 and crimson clover, but that a ration may be pro- 

 duced on the farm that is equally good as a milk 

 producer as one in which the fine feeds are pur- 

 chased. 



The weights of the cows remained practically the 

 same during the feeding of both rations. 



Cowpea hay.* — We have in cowpea hay one of 

 the cheapest and most productive crops for dairy 

 animals. "The feeding value of cowpea hay is 

 fully equal to that of the best of red clover and is 

 almost equal to alfalfa, and as much forage can be 

 produced from cowpeas in 80 days as red clover 

 will yield in 15 months." (Grantham.) 



More real feeding value will usually be secured 

 when the crop is preserved as hay rather than silage. 

 The crop is cured similar to alfalfa. After it is well 

 wilted it should be put up in cocks not too great in 

 diameter and allowed to remain two or three days 

 until cured, then hauled to the barn without further 

 handling. 



Experiment in substituting cowpea hay for pur- 

 chased feeds. — A ration consisting of 17 pounds of 

 cowpea hay (1. p. 27) and 36 pounds of corn silage 

 was compared with a ration made up of 5 pounds of 

 corn stalks, 36 pounds of corn silage, 4 pounds of 

 wheat bran, 3 pounds of dried brewers' grains and 

 2 pounds of cottonseed meal. The cowpea hay ra- 

 tion contained 3.06 pounds of protein and had an 

 estimated nutritive ratio of 1:6. The feed ration 

 contained 3.20 pounds of protein and had an esti- 



*N. J. Exp. Station Bull, No. 174, by the author. 

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