96 



DESCRIPTION OF FEEDING STUFFS 



labor and expense of raising, cutting, and bringing in the feed, 

 feeding, currying, and other care of the cattle." 



Disadvantages. — Against these advantages, there are the follow- 

 ing disadvantages of the system : The increase in labor required to 

 prepare the soil ; to plant, harvest, and haul the various green crops, 

 and to feed the herd. The last point is of the greatest importance, 

 as the feed must be cut regularly once or twice every day, rain or 

 shine, no matter how pressing other farm work may be. The sys- 

 tem also calls for much skill and care in planning for and planting 

 the succession of green crops for the season, and can be successfully 

 adopted only under an intensive system of farming, on land that is 

 kept in a high state of fertility and suited to the growing of large 

 crops of green forage. 



Soiling Crops. — Among crops that have proved satisfactory 

 soiling crops may be mentioned : Indian corn, alfalfa, clover, vetch, 

 sorghum, peas, oats, winter grains (cut before blooming), soybeans, 

 cowpeas, rape, millet, etc. In the eastern and central States Indian 

 corn is probably the most valuable soiling crop, and alfalfa, wherever 

 it grows well. The latter crop is all-important for soiling dairy 

 cows in the irrigated regions in the West, where it is often the only 

 forage crop grown and fed. Peas, peas and oats, and rape also rank 

 high as soiling crops, the last crop especially for sheep and hogs. 



The chemical composition of the more important soiling crops 

 will be seen from the following table: 



Composition of Important Soiling Crops, in Per Cent 



Succession of Soiling Crops. — The plan of succession of soil- 

 ing crops must be carefully determined before spring work com- 

 mences. A field convenient to the barn is generally set apart for 

 this purpose, Indian corn with sorghum, peas and oats, kafir or 

 milo, etc., being planted in portions of the field at such intervals 

 as will insure green forage for the entire season. Each crop may be 



