FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION 233 



It will be seen that the price of land may readily become so 

 high that it would be unprofitable to graze it. In many sections 

 of the country a cow can be fed on dry feed for average pro- 

 duction for about 20 cents a day. Therefore, when the daily 

 rental or interest on the value of pasture approaches that sum 

 the farmer should carefully consider other methods of summer 

 feeding. 



The cost of caring for permanent pastures must also be 

 taken into consideration. This will consist in the expense of 

 cutting weeds, building and repairing fences, etc. 



Price of Labor. 



The pasture system of summer feeding reduces to the mini- 

 mum the amount of labor required to handle a given number 

 of cows, and, therefore, it is especially adapted to condition^ 

 where labor is high. 



Lay of Land and Roughness of Surface. 



In mountainous or hilly sections of the country there is 

 often a part of the farm which, on account of steepness, tenden- 

 cy to wash, or the presence of rock formation near the surface, 

 can not or should not be plowed frequently. On such farms it 

 is often best to plow only the bottoms, keeping the uplands in 

 permanent pastures. The dairyman will find ready application 

 of the pasture system for summer feeding on such farms. 



Pasture With Supplements. 

 Grain. 



As has boen said, supplementing of pasture with grain is 

 sometimes advisable, even when the pastures are of the best. In 

 many sections, however, pastures are never of the best kind, and 

 in no sections are they always in the best condition. It is evi- 

 dent, therefore, that the commercial dairyman will seldom de- 

 pend upon pasture alone. Grain should be fed to heavy-pro- 

 ducing cows under all pasture conditions. 



Prof. C. H. Eckles, of the University of Missouri, suggests 



