86 Soiling. 



Greater Production of Milk. 

 Iowa Ex. Bui., No. 15, page 274 (1891). 



"The losses that occur annually to our farmers 

 from the drying up of their pastures in July, Au- 

 gust, and September, induced us to grow a few acres 

 of green feed, and ascertain to what extent such 

 feed of different kinds can be had from an acre of 

 land, how much a cow requires of each kind, and 

 the efEects of such feeding on quantity and quality 

 of milk compared with well-watered and well-shaded 

 blue-grass pasture. The principal objection to soil- 

 ing has been that time is too expensive to be em- 

 ployed for this purpose. Time and circumstances 

 are breaking the force of this argument. Iowa 

 lands have become high-priced. Many of them are 

 stacked with herds of valuable animals that must 

 respond, or they will not pay. Growth, meats, and 

 milk are made cheapest in summer. Droughts of 

 July and August call for something to round out the 

 season's work. These considerations induced the 

 station to begin experiments in this direction. Be- 

 gan June 20th, when the drought was drying up the 

 pastures. We sowed for soiling crops winter rye, 

 clover, oats, and peas. 



" Oats and peas were fed from June 20th to July 

 28th, when oats and second cut clover were substi- 

 tuted until August 8th, when green com and clover 

 were fed to the end. Six cows were selected; all 



