FEEDING DAIRY CATTLE 205 
diligent necessities of the stable during winter. Labor 
is largely dispensed with, except that required for milk- 
ing. Cows are nowhere so well treated as when on 
pasture. They gather their own feed, and even on 
scanty pasture add flesh and vigor for heavy winter 
production. 
3. Feeding grain on pasture—Cows give more milk if 
fed grain on pasture, but the cost of producing the milk 
will thereby be increased and the practice may not be 
economical. Certainly the cows that give but little milk 
do not require concentrates when on good pasture. The 
very heavy milkers may be given grain, the kind depend- 
ing on what is available. Corn is satisfactory if but two 
or three pounds are given; but, in case more is fed, gluten, 
cottonseed meal or bran should be used in a mixture 
with corn, 
4, When pastures are short——During the hot days of 
late summer the pastures often become parched, dry and 
scanty. At this time great care is needed in managing 
the dairy herd. Unless some supplementary food is fed, 
the cows will drop off in their milk flow, and once down 
it is a difficult task to get them back. 
‘The short pasture problem may be overcome by providing soil- 
ing crops, such as green corn, millet, oats and peas, alfalfa, and 
s 6 
Pasture is short, but soiling crops and grain at the barn keep the cows in flesh and 
maintain the milk flow. 
