388 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



Maintains Vigor. — One thing that should be well 

 emphasized is that where alfalfa hay is fed liberally 

 cows keep in splendid health and strength. They 

 may be made to give as much milk by feeding other 

 feeds. Cows will give milk liberally and be phys- 

 ical wrecks, and when fed on the forcing process 

 with what must be classed as artificial foods they 

 frequently go down in vitality so that they are prey 

 to any sort of malady that may happen to overtake 

 them. When fed liberally on alfalfa they give as 

 much milk or more, they carry more flesh, they have 

 better tone, more abundant vigor, breed better, drop 

 stronger calves, the calves grow into better heifers 

 and make better cows. There is nothing else so 

 good for a dairy-bred heif6r as alfalfa hay though 

 she may need to be limited somewhat in amount if 

 she shows a marked tendency to overmuch body 

 plumpness. 



Findings of Experiment Stations. — The New York 

 station reports the results of feeding home-grown 

 rations, consisting of alfalfa hay and com silage, 

 feeding four cows for sixty days, in comparison 

 with a purchased feed ration for the same number 

 of cows for the same length of time. These rations 

 cost respectively $30.03 and $47.05, or 12.5 cents and 

 19.6 cents per cow per day. This is a net gain of 

 24.3 cents per hundred pounds, and a half of a cent 

 per quart of milk, or a saving of 33.7 and 31.5 per 

 cent., respectively, for milk and butter in favor of 

 the home-grown ration. They estimate that when 



