14 BULLETIN 615, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICT/LTU7Z. 
pasture May 15. From November 15 to May 15 each cow received the 
following : 
Stalks 2 acres, at $0.75 an acre. 
Clover hay 1| tons, at $8.00 a ton. 
Corn 3| bushel?, at $0.60 a bushel. 
Oat straw 1 ton. at SI a ton. 
The winter feed bill amounted to $16.40. This ration is more 
moderate and better balanced than that fed on Farms No. 1 and Xo. 
2. However, the amount of clover hay could have been reduced three- 
fourths of a ton, or to one-half the amount fed. and the corn to at 
least 1 bushel, if the oat straw had been properly fed and not wasted. 
The cows then would have received a daily ration of corn 1 pound, 
clover hay 12J pounds, and oat straw 16f pounds, which should have 
been sufficient for their needs. In fact, the corn probably could 
have been safely reduced to 1 bushel and used only during the coldest 
weather. 
This saving' of three-fourths of a ton of hay and 1 bushel of corn 
would have amounted to $6.60 per head and reduced the winter feed 
bill to $9.70. Because of the very poor calf crop, each calf on this 
farm had to be charged with the expense of maintaining 1J cows, 
besides their proportionate share of the bull charge, and thus their 
cost at weaning time was $52.60 per head. This cost would have 
been reduced to $12.25 if the saving above Suggested had been 
effected. 
FARM NO. 4. 
In eastern Kansas there is a region, covering several counties, that 
is very much broken and where a limestone formation crops out in 
many places. These hills, because of the numerous limestone out- 
crops, are devoted to pasture. Interspersed between the hills are 
valleys of rich bottom land, where much alfalfa is grown. A large 
part of this alfalfa is fed to the cattle that run on these pastures dur- 
ing the summer months. The cows in this region are wintered 
largely on alfalfa, and as this hay usually is very cheap, extravagant 
quantities sometimes are fed. To contrast the practices followed in 
this region with those just described for Iowa, a 335-acre farm may 
be cited. This farm had 130 acres in alfalfa. 20 acres in corn, 120 
acres in hill pasture, and 60 acres in waste land and timber. The 
breeding herd consisted of a pure-bred bull and 30 high-grade cows, I 
which dropped 27 calves. The cows were taken off pasture November 
1 and fed until May 1, receiving a ration of one-half acre of stover 
and 3 tons of alfalfa per head. The stover was valued at $2 an 
acre and the alfalfa at $5 a ton. the total winter feed bill being $16. 
More ha3 T was fed than the cows really needed. Indeed, if the hay 
had been decreased 1 ton. the ration still would have been adequate, 
providing sufficient digestible nutrients and more than double the 
