FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION 231 



ally all highly specialized milk producers in the early part of the 

 lactation period lose in weight; that is, they produce milk at thq 

 expense of their own body flesh. When such cows approach the 

 end of their milking period they normally regain the flesh they 

 have lost in the early part of this period. The feeder can, there* 

 fore, well afford to feed such cows liberally, being assured that 

 the feed will be returned to him in the form of milk when the 

 cows again freshen. 



Summer Feeding. 



The problems involved in winter and summer feeding are 

 so different as to make a natural division between the two. Sum- 

 mer feeding ordinarily consists in the use of pastures or soiling 

 crops. These may be supplemented when necessary by silage or 

 other roughage or by grain. When dry feeds alone are fed in 

 the summer, the problems are not materially different from win- 

 ter feeding. 



Pasture. 



Pasture is the natural feed for dairy cows, and in many re- 

 spects the best. With abundance of good grasses in fresh, suc- 

 culent condition, we have one of the rations most conducive tc 

 heavy production. Even with the very best of pasture, how- 

 ever, a cow can not be forced to maximum production on it 

 alone. This is owing to the fact that for the greatest produc- 

 tion she must be induced to take a large amount of nutrients. 

 The bulky nature of pasture grass places a positive limit upon 

 the capacity of the cow to take feed. In other words, the cow'v 

 stomach can not contain grass enough to supply the required 

 nutrients for maximum milk production ; therefore, a part of 

 the ration should be of a more concentrated nature. Good pas- 

 ture contains an abundant supply of succulent, palatable, and nu- 

 tritious grasses. On such pasture it should be possible for a cow 

 to satisfy her appetite with a few hours' grazing. Pasture of; 

 this kind will supply all the food material needed for medium 

 production and a large part of that necessary for large produc- 

 tion. For average conditions, with ample pasture of good 

 grasses or legumes in good, succulent condition, good produc- 

 tion can be secured. The economy of the use of pasture depends 



