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DRY-FARMING CONGRESS, WICHITA, 1914 



farmer the best plan is that of beginning with milking his common cows 

 and gradually working into a herd of high grades and dairy breeding. 



Almost without regard to the character of the cow milked, proper feed- 

 ing or the feeding of roughage and grains containing in proper proportions 

 the elements of feed needed in the production of milk, will increase the flow 

 of milk, and so increase the profitableness of the dairy. Milk can come from 

 feed only, and from a surplus of feed over and above that required for the 

 maintenance v and the support of the animal body. It has been demon- 

 strated time and again that the average cow of the average farm dairy will 

 increase her production nearly 100 percent by supplying her with ample 

 feed of the required quality. For instance, the produce of a herd of 60 ^ows 

 was in one year brought up to 251 pounds of butterfat as compared with the 

 average of 123 pounds, which latter was the average product per cow of the 

 82 creamery patrons first mentioned here. 



The fact is that the cows we are milking are not so poor as our feeding 

 methods. We fill the cow's stomach with waste roughage, low in the con- 

 stituents which make milk, and we think the cow is not worth milking. An 

 abundant milk flow can be produced only by a certain combination of the 

 nutrients of feed. For instance, milk is 80 per cent water. If the cow gets 

 only half the amount of water she needs, her milk flow will be reduced one- 

 half. Milk is about 12 percent casein or cheese, and only one constituent of 

 feed will make cheese. If the cow gets only one-half as much of that con- 

 stituent or feed as she needs or can use, the milk flow will be reduced to the 

 point of her ability to produce casein. This fact is stated in a homely way; 

 however, the illustration is that first principle in feeding cows for milk and 

 must be indelibly stamped on the mind of every feeder. 



The next point is that of liberal feeding. It requires something like 70 

 percent of all the feed the cow ordinarily eats to support her body and 

 manufacture the milk she produces. The dairyman is shortsighted who 

 would withhold any part of the remaining 30 percent of the feed the cow 

 could eat if it were placed before her. The wise feeder will learn the ca- 

 pacity of his cows that they may receive and consume the largest possible 

 profitable allowance. The cow in full flow of milk is expending as much 

 energy as a horse at hard labor, and she works more incessantly than does 

 the farm horse. It is of common knowledge that the harder the horse works 

 the more feed he requires. We must learn the same lesson in the case of 

 the cow. The more milk she will give or is capable of giving, the more feed 

 she should be given. 



Two essential constituents of feed necessary to the proper feeding 

 of the milk cow, are protein and carbohydrates. In our commonly-grown 

 farm feeds, protein is lacking. Our common feeds are rich in carbohydrates, 

 so regarding the supply of this latter element we need not worry. It is so 

 plentiful that we may waste it if we will, but protein is scarce — it is the ex- 

 pensive constituent of feed. Its existence in liberal quantities in alfalfa is 

 what makes alfalfa hay more valuable per ton than cane hay, and is the 

 reason why wheat bran sells for more money per ton than cottonseed hulls. 



Of our farm grown roughages, digestible protein exists in largest 



