The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 135 



been aided in erecting the necessary structures. They have also 



been advised as to the crops to grow and as to the methods of 



feeding to follow, with the result that the silo is now regarded by 



many as an indispensable factor in the maintenance of beef and Helping the 



dairy cattle on an economical and practical basis. Only a begin- J^™^^ "' 



ning has been made in this direction, however, for the time must 



shortly come when there will be thousands upon thousands of 



silos in every Southern state if we are to develop our live stock 



business to the degree which is necessary and essential. 



Only a word can be said in this connection relative to the 

 feeding of live stock, but it is along this line that more failures 

 are recorded than in any other direction. Self-criticism is not 

 pleasant, but if we realize that for the most part we are "babes in 

 the woods" when it comes to the question of feeding, we will 

 make progress all the more rapidly. The problem of animal 

 nutrition is a complicated one from every point of view. One 

 must understand the composition of foodstuffs, and the anatomy, 

 physiology and requirements of the animal body for maintenance, 

 for growth and for work. One must understand how to combine 

 foods in order to promote digestion and circulation ; in other 

 words, how to lubricate the machine most cheaply and success- 

 fully. The animal in the stall corresponds to the knitting ma- The Science 

 chine in the mill. It may or may riot do rffective work. It all °^ Proper 

 depends on the manner in which it is set up and manipulated. It ^^ '"^ 

 must be adjusted and oiled and lubricated. The animal must be 

 fed and watered and cared for properly if expected to produce a 

 profitable return. As to the amount of foodstuffs available, our 

 supply may be limited in some respects, but we can produce silage 

 ad libitum, and this can be fed with success for six months of the 

 year. Summer pastures can be provided by the farmer who has 

 the ambition to do so. Grain crops of a great variety may be 

 had to use as concentrates. We can increase our yields of corn, 

 oats, peanuts, soy beans, velvet beans and cotton seed meal. No 

 section of the country may be better supplied with the variety 

 of foodstuffs essential to the proper nourishment of all classes of 

 live stock than the South. It is a question of choosing from the 

 rich field of possible supply and combining nature's gifts in the 

 proper manner. 



That the feed problem is a determining factor in economic 

 production is shown by the following example : A dairy cow fed 

 on a ration of 36 pounds of silage and 6 pounds of cotton seed 



