128 PROFITABLE STOCK RAISING 



at the time it is cut for silaige adds materially to its 

 feeding value. There is no question that corn sil- 

 age and alfalfa hay, fed together, form the most 

 ideal combination known for dairy feeding. Where 

 alfalfa is not produced, bright well-cured clover or 

 cowpeas will do nearly as well. Alfalfa will, to a 

 great extent, take the place of bran in a ration on 

 account of its high protein content. Careful, con- 

 servative dairymen who have kept accurate account 

 of the results obtained from different feeds, state 

 that rather than be without alfalfa hay in winter 

 they would pay $20 a ton for it. The cheapest com- 

 bination ever used by the Nebraska experiment sta- 

 tion in producing milk and butter consisted of 100 

 tons of alfalfa hay fed in connection with 125 tons 

 of corn silage. This was fed during the winter to 

 40 cows, which averaged over 400 pounds of 

 butter each. 



It will scarcely pay a man to engage in any form 

 of agriculture without fairly satisfactory equipment 

 with which to perform his work. This is especially 

 true of dairying. After reasonably good stock has 

 been secured, undoubtedly the most valuable and 

 nearly indispensable article of dairy equipment is 

 the silo. The cost is so trifling when compared 

 with the advantages to be derived as to be a matter 

 of little or no consideration. It may be said to be 

 indispensable to the most profitable dairy practice 

 under all conditions except in sections of the south 

 where green feed is available at all periods of the 

 year. 



Just what feeds the dairyman shall use, depends 

 very largely, of course, upon the local conditions 

 under which he works. Many men who are en- 

 gaged in producing milk for city markets have only 

 a small piece of land and are not able to raise large 



