^6 FARM CROPS 



parched. Fattening cattle need good-sized corn 

 fields for stover and grain. The successful farmer 

 of today and of the future will have at his hand the 

 use of crops and methods for his special, particular 

 purpose. The ordinary farmer will go on in the 

 same old way and continue to say farming does 

 not pay. 



The Home Production of Protein. — The experi- 

 ment station has given us positive evidence of the 

 importance of protein for all classes of farm animals. 

 The gist of the matter is : we have been feeding too 

 little protein, because the ordinary farm crops are 

 deficient in this constituent and we have found out 

 only recently how and where it can be obtained. 

 The discovery shows that protein costs money. 

 To balance feeding rations properly we have been 

 obliged to purchase large quantities of grains and 

 concentrates to supply the needed protein. 



To bring the purchased amount of protein down 

 to the minimum quantity is one of the most im- 

 portant questions before the feeder today. This 

 can be done to a very great extent by growing 

 those crops having relatively high percentages of 

 protein, such as cowpeas, clover, vetches, soy beans 

 and alfalfa. There are a few others like these, but 

 those named are the most important and two or 

 more can be grown readily in every section of our 

 country. Alfalfa, cowpeas and clover have already 

 been grown in the East, South and West and 

 long since have passed the experimental state. • Fol- 

 lowing is a ration almost wholly home grown and 

 furnishes the necessary digestible nutrients in 

 proper quantity and proportion for a dairy cow in 

 full flow of milk, and costs for an outside purchase 

 less than three cents a day for each cow. 



