Feeding Dairy Cattle 



get some rest, however, in a system with silage as the only 

 supplement, because in nearly every locality there is a flush 

 season of pasture when probably neither a succulent supple- 

 ment nor a grain supplement will be needed. 



The method of supplementing pasture with silage alone, 

 grades into a second plan which involves the intermittent use 

 of the silo. Advantage is taken of alfalfa and clover and a 

 crop or two of peas and oats, when these crops are in prime 

 condition, and silage is used in between. There will be 

 some loss of silage in intermittent use, but the amount is 

 small when the silage is near the bottom of the silo, because 

 it is so tightly packed and fermentation has stopped. Care 

 should be taken to keep the surface of the silage level, and 

 to leave it as smooth and as little disturbed as possible when 

 pitching off the last lot, when planning to use a green crop 

 for a time. This plan has been used at Cornell University 

 with success and with little loss. Whichever plan is used, 

 the greatset success will be obtained if two silos are available, 

 one with a larger diameter for winter feeding and one with a 

 less diameter for summer feeding. The smaller the diameter 

 the less surface will be exposed at any time and consequently 

 the less chance of loss. 



The third method of supplementing pasture will involve 

 the use of green crops alone, and means a succession through- 

 out the summer from about July ist to November ist. Such 

 a succession may be obtained with the use of the following 

 crops. The table is computed on the basis of the needs of 

 50 cows. The table is adapted from a table given in "Feeds 

 and Feeding", by Henry and Morrison, and is quoted from 

 Professor Voorhees of New Jersey. This plan, then, would 

 be applicable to the latitude of southern New York, Xe^v 

 Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, etc. 



Date of 



Crop Acres seeding Period of cutting 



Peas and oats 2 April 2 June 26-July 4 



Peas and oats 2 April 11 July 5-July 10 



Peas and oats 5 April 19 July 11-July 22 



Southern white corn 2 May 2 July 23-Aug. 3 



Barnyard millet 2 June 19 Aug. 4-Aug.'l9 



Soy beans 1 June 1 Aug. 20-Aug 25 



Cow peas 1 June 10 Aug. 26-Sept. 1 



Second cutting clover or third cutting alfalfa gept 2-Sept 16 



Pearl millet 2 July 1 Sept 17-Oct 1 



Cow peas 1 July 24 Oct. 1-Oct 5 



Mixed grasses Oct. 5-Nov. 1 



It is not claimed that the above outline is the best that 

 may be suggested. It is merely a suggestion to indicate the 

 crops that may be used for the purpose discussed in this 



Page Forty-four 



