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 heifer 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 corn 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 
