6 BULLETIN 1024, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
wheat crop a mixed hay of approximately one-half timothy and 
one-half clover. In making soy-bean hay the ground is prepared 
about as 1t would be for corn. The beans are drilled broadcast, using 
_ 14 bushels an acre. They are usually sown the last of May or the 
first of June, after all danger of heavy frost is past. When the 
beans begin to form in the pods, about the first of September, the 
time varying with the variety of beans and the kind of season, the 
crop is cut and cured for hay. 
KIND OF PASTURE. 
Each year the cows ae their calves were turned on a pasture of 
about 120 acres. 
The soil is‘of limestone formation and a good growth of bluegrass 
with much white clover is found on all parts of the pasture, which 
is typical of this section. Under normal climatic conditions theré is 
rainfall enough to keep the grass growing throughout the season. 
METHOD OF FEEDING AND HANDLING. 
In the fall, before being started on the winter feed, the cows were - 
divided into lots of 10 each. In this division care was taken to have 
the lots as uniform as possible in quality, breeding, size, and con- 
dition. These different lots were allowed the same amount of space 
in open sheds with small outside lots about 25 by 50 feet in size. 
Water was supplied in these lots at all times and salt was constantly 
available. The cows were fed twice a day. 
The feed, both concentrates and roughages, was weighed at each 
feeding and accurate records kept of the quantities fed. The cows 
were weighed individually at the beginning, and at the end of the 
winter feeding period, the weights being taken 3 days in succession 
and the averages taken as their initial and final weights. They were 
also weighed once every 28 days. The weights were taken in the 
morning after feeding. For identification, neck me with numbers 
on them were used. 7 | 
After the cows were turned on erass in the spi it was necessary 
in some instances where the cows gave a heavy flow of milk to give 
the calves only a part: of the milk until they were old enough to take 
it all. : 
I. RATIONS, GAINS AND LOSSES IN WEIGHT, AND CALVES 
- PRODUCED. 
FEED CONSUMED. 
These cows received only enough feed to keep them in good, strong, 
thrifty condition. As the graph in figure 7 shows, they gained in 
weight until they calved. 
