FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL CONVENTION 121 



Pasture Freedom a Great Benefit. 



The amount of milk was increased and the cows bene- 

 fited by going out to rye pasture. They ran, kicked up 

 their heels, and played like calves the first few times they 

 were turned out. The benefit seemed to last ever for some 

 time after the cows were taken off the pasture. They 

 seemed to do better and were more contented. It is strong- 

 ly recommended that cows should be on some kind of pas- 

 ture for at least two months during the year, and they cer- 

 tainly do better without silage or with only a small feed of 

 silage for that time. The cowsj in this Milk Per Acre dem- 

 onstration felt somewhat the lack of pasture. Sweet clover 

 pasture may be grown on most farms if properly treated and 

 it will yield three times as much feed as blue grass. 



How Cows Were Fed and Watered. 



The cows were placed in stanchions and fed twice a 

 day. After the silage was well eaten they were given the 

 alfalfa hay. An hour later the stanchions were opened and 

 the cows went to the water tank, later returning to finish 

 the hay. The tank was in the barn and the water was kept 

 at a constant level by means of a float valve. Allowing 

 cows to drink frequently is a high factor in milk production. 

 They also had access to salt. 



Cow^s Maintained Good Condition. 



The cows kept in good flesh, excepting the heaviest 

 milkers for a few months after freshening when they had 

 no grain in the ration. But with the exception of one very 

 heavy milker, all of the cows were in fine flesh and physical 

 tone at freshening time each year. Such condition for six 

 years speaks wonders for these feeds as a dairy ration. 



Because of the large yields and economic production 

 of corn and alfalfa, or even clover, these should usually 

 constitute the exclusive ration during the winter for cows 

 that are not producing over two gallons of milk per day. 

 This includes the great majority of the cows in the United 

 States for nearly all of their lactation periods each year 

 when not on pasture. The feeding of this economical and 



