54 THE MANAGEMENT AND FI-niDING OE CATTLE 



Of the coarse fodders used to supplement such graz- 

 ing, none is better than corn. For such a use, it may be 

 grown in near!}' all arable sections of the United States 

 and in many of those in Canada. It is most suitable 

 when thickly grown, and when well advanced toward 

 maturity. But it may be necessary sometimes to begin 

 using it at a much earlier stage of growth. When the 

 supply is ample for the needs of the animals until win- 

 ter, it is not necessary to provide other food. The corn 

 will be fed, first, from the row, and later from the shock, 

 each day's supply being strewn on a fresh part of the 

 pasture. AVhere cattle that are being finished on grass 

 are fed large quantities of ear corn in contiguous pas- 

 tures, these young animals may get enough to supply 

 their needs if allowed to glean after the former. In 

 certain areas, sweet sorghum and the non-saccharine 

 sorghums, especially Kafir corn, may furnish supple- 

 mentary food more cheaply than corn. AVhen these are 

 fed, they may be managed in precisely the same way 

 as corn. 



Other pastures that have been sown with such an 

 end in view may be provided to furnish grazing at the 

 opportune time. One of the most suitable of these is 

 dwarf Essex rape, sown alone or with grain. Over wide 

 sections of the western prairies it may be thus sown 

 along with small cereals, and more commonly without 

 injury to them, one pound of seed more or less being 

 mixed in with the grain put upon each acre of the land 

 sown. The rape plants which usually furnish luxuriant 

 grazing a few weeks subsequent to the harvesting of 

 the crop, may thus be made to supplement other pas- 

 tures at but little cost. The other plants that grow 

 amid the grain will go far to eliminate the danger from 

 bloating which is sometimes present in grazing rape. 

 When rape is grown separately, it should always, where 

 practicable, be grazed in conjunction with grass pasture, 

 first, to lessen the tendency to scouring, and, second, 



