44 MISC. PUBLICATION 7 02, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



FARM B 



Farm B, also in Culpeper County, has soils and slopes similar to 

 those of farm A. The 346 acres are used as follows : Corn and small 

 grains, 69 acres; alfalfa, 74 acres; permanent pasture, 178 acres; and 

 other land 25 acres. The present crop-rotation system calls for corn 

 (about 25 acres) 1 year, small grain 2 years, and alfalfa 5 years. The 

 core of the former system was 59 acres of corn. It did not include 

 alfalfa. 



Farm B supports an average of 50 milk cows, 15 dry and nurse cows, 

 30 bred heifers, 20 year-old heifers. 36 heifer calves, 4 bulls, 4 horses, 

 2 sows, and 1 boar. The tenants also keep some chickens. Two of 

 the horses are kept for riding and 2 for a little light work. The hogs 

 supply meat for owner and tenants. 



Milk" cows receive grain at the rate of 1 pound to 4 pounds of milk. 

 The mixture is made from home-grown corn, oats, and barley and 

 purchased bran and cottonseed meal, as follows : 



Pounds 



Corn 700 ^ 



Oats 600 



Barley 300 > 12 percent protein. 



Bran' 1 200 



Cottonseed meal * 200 . 



1 Bran and cottonseed meal are fed only in winter. 



Thirty pounds of corn silage per cow a day are fed regularly from 

 October 1 to April 15 and at other times during the year if pasture 

 becomes short. Hay is fed throughout the year except in May and 

 June, for a total of about 3 tons per cow. It is fed three times a day : 

 5 a. m., 10 a. m., and 4 p. m. Bred heifers get 10 pounds of silage each 

 per day from November 1 to April 20. They are fed hay on pasture 

 in November as well as for the remainder of the winter. They consume 

 about 1V4 tons. Young heifers and small calves eat about one-half 

 ton of hay each. Except for one bunch of yearling heifers all live- 

 stock were fed grain every day in 1947. 



Cows graze from April 20 to November 1, 1 week per field in each 

 of four fields. Heifers and bulls graze from April 20 to December 1. 



The present owner started the changes on this farm when he acquired 

 it late in 1937. He has reduced acreages of corn and small grains, 

 added alfalfa, improved the permanent pastures, and built up the 

 dairy herd. He has not made the complete conversion to pasture and 

 hay that was done on farm A — at least not yet. He grows most of 

 his own concentrates — in 1947 he bought only 4 tons of cottonseed 

 meal and 5 tons of bran, compared with 100 tons of commercial mixed 

 dairy feed purchased for farm A. Farmer B uses corn silage but 

 he has ordered a field chopper and will try some grass silage. He 

 believes he will stick to corn silage ! 



Beginning in 1938, the entire farm, cropland and pasture, received 

 an annual application of 500 pounds per acre of 0-12-12. The 1947 

 rate was 600 pounds. It has been well limed regularly. The entire 

 farm is covered with 10 tons of manure per acre about once in 3 years. 

 Pastures are mowed about three times each summer. 



