FOOD FOR MILCH COWS IN SUMMER 253 



than one cutting is made this question is of much less 

 importance than when growth ceases when the crop is 

 cut. In the former instance what has not been secured 

 in one cutting may be in the next, whereas in the latter 

 the food that would have been furnished by subsequent 

 growth would be lost. With these the aim should he to 

 have growth well advanced before beginning to feed the 

 food. It would not be practicable to give a general rule 

 that will more correctly apply than that which would 

 defer cutting alfalfa and all kinds of clover until the first 

 blooms begin to show ; Canada peas, vetches, cowpeas, 

 and soy beans, when the first pods are formed, the other 

 small grains, and millet, when coming into head. The 

 cutting of corn may begin as soon as it comes into tassel, 

 if absolutely necessary to feed it so early, but the food 

 contains much more nutriment at a later stage of growth. 

 When sweet sorghum is cut but once, and also the non- 

 saccharine sorghums, the aim should be to defer be- 

 ginning to cut until the crop has produced heads. The 

 feeding of all these crops as soiling food may be con- 

 tinued until they approach very near to the ripening 

 period. Should there be an excess of these over the 

 needs of the stock, such excess may be harvested at 

 maturity and reserved for later feeding. If rye is fed, 

 it should be cut, as a rule, before it is in head, as when 

 it reaches the heading stage it has lost much of its 

 palatability. 



Usually no labor is expended in preparing the food 

 for feeding by such methods as running it through a 

 cutting box and mixing it with other food. Such labor 

 under existing conditions will not, as a rule, repay the 

 outlay. However, the statement that there are no in- 

 stances in which it would be justifiable would not seem 

 warranted, especially when meal is to be fed to give 

 balance to the ration. 



From pastures to stable. — The change from pas- 

 tures to stable will be gradual, as a rule, on the well- 



