22 
BULLETIN 501, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The question of providing feed is different on each of the two gen- 
eral types of farms that maintain dairy cows. Just how near the 
specialized dairyman should come to growing all the feed required 
by his dairy herd is a question of individual business management. 1 
One man may find it most profitable to grow all the feed required, 
while another may increase his profits by supplementing the income 
from cows with crop sales and purchase a part of the feed. In a few 
localities in the United States crops may be selected that will not 
only yield a product for which there is ready sale at good prices, but 
also leave on the farm much feedable material. Sweet corn is an 
example of this type. 
Fig. 5.— A silo is usually a profitable investment in connection with the feeding of dairy cows. 
As a matter of fact, there was a wide variation on the four farms 
studied as to the practice of growing or buying the feed. On the 
Wisconsin farm concentrates were purchased in addition to feeding 
all the crops raised. The practice on the Michigan farm was similar 
in this respect to the Wisconsin farm, except that more feed was 
purchased, owing to the absence of sufficient pasture. On the other 
hand, the practice on the Pennsylvania farm was to sell wheat and 
timothy and to buy some concentrates. No roughage was sold from 
the North Carolina farm, where cotton and tobacco were important 
cash crops. The dairy cow ration was completed with purchased 
feeds. 
Seed, p. 34. 
