1906 . 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
643 
BARN PASTURE FOR COWS. 
Part I. 
On page 454 I described the system of 
feeding cows on green crops which is 
followed at the New Jersey Experiment 
Station. A table was printed showing 
when the various crops were planted this 
year. At the time of my visit (May 7) 
the cows were being fed on green rye, the 
wheat was about ready to feed, the oats 
and peas were about three inches high, 
and Crimson clover was being plowed un¬ 
der for corn planting. Since then the 
cows have been fed on green wheat, Crim¬ 
son clover, green grass and oats and peas, 
while the ground upon which these crops 
grew has been plowed and seeded to cow 
peas or corn, while two crops of Alfalfa 
have been cut and either fed green or 
cured for hay. At the present time the 
barn is well stuffed with dry fodder, while 
in the fields are growing a bewildering 
mass of corn, cow peas and millet. 
Let it be understood that here is a 
farm carrying 50 cows, besides young 
stock, 10 horses and 10 hogs, without any 
pasture at all, and with no idle land. 
There is a small yard where the cattle ex¬ 
ercise. but the rest of the land is so ar¬ 
ranged that it produces two or three 
crops each season. Imagine the amount 
of grass taken from the average pasture 
compared with the vast amount of green 
forage produced on such a farm. For 
example, last year an acre in rye cut over 
seven tons of green fodder. It could be 
plowed at once after cutting, and seeded 
to oats and vetch, which cut five tons 
more of green fodder July 8 to 11. Then 
plowed once more it could be seeded to 
cow peas, which cut nearly 8]/ 2 tons early 
in October, or planted to corn fodder 
July 19 to cut 8 l / 2 tons of forage the 
middle of October. In either case, as soon 
as the cow peas or corn fodder were taken 
off the land was plowed and seeded to rye 
—giving early feed this year. Or take the 
case of an acre of wheat. It was seeded 
October 5-6. The following year it was 
cut and fed June 3-6, giving six tons of 
forage. The ground was plowed and 
seeded to cow peas or a mixture of cow 
peas and Kaffir corn, which gave six to 
seven tons during the first half of Septem¬ 
ber. after which the land was fitted and 
seeded to rye or wheat for the Winter. This 
gives an idea of the way this soil is driven 
and kept busy. I have been watching 
the farm for some years, and in spite of 
the enormous crops which are annually 
produced the soil is evidently growing 
more productive. An accurate plant-food 
account is kept with each field. For ex¬ 
ample, if this year 400 pounds of fertili¬ 
zer or eight tons of manure are put on 
an acre, so many pounds of nitrogen, 
potash and phosphoric acid are charged 
to that acre. If five tons of rye and six 
tons of cow peas or other forage are 
taken from the acre the amounts of nitro¬ 
gen, potash and phosphoric acid (figured 
from average samples) are credited to 
the acre. This has been carried on for 
a series - of years, making a doubly inter¬ 
esting experiment. Here it must be evi¬ 
dent that one great advantage of the 
soiling system is the fact that more of the 
manure is saved for the farm. • Where the 
cows spend all day and part of the night 
in pasture only a small proportion of the 
Summer droppings are utilized—for pas¬ 
tures are rarely cultivated. From the fig¬ 
ures showing the value of poultry manure 
we see that only 40 per cent of the ma¬ 
nure was left at night. This proportion 
would be still less with cattle at pasture. 
Under this system practically all the ma¬ 
nure is saved. The cows spend most of 
their time in the barn, and when out of 
doors the droppings are left on a small 
area, which is plowed at intervals and 
planted to forage crops. The average 
farmer will say at once that this system is 
impossible for him, as he cannot afford 
the time and teams required to plow and 
cultivate so frequently. With most of 
these crops a single plowing each year 
would be sufficient. A disk or Cutaway 
harrow would, if a stout team were used, 
fit the field for grain and cow peas, and 
do it rapidly: The labor required to cut 
and haul the fodder daily is considerable, 
yet if a farmer made a business of it he 
would find it quite possible to care for a 
good-sized herd. 
On this farm the soiling system is car¬ 
ried out in elaborate detail. On July 31 
there was a field of Japanese millet being 
cut, another which would be ready in 
about 10 days, Alfalfa ready for the third 
cutting, cow peas in all stages from just 
peeping through the ground to a mass, 
with Kaffir corn two feet high, a second 
crop of grass nearly ready, fodder corn 
ready to feed green, silo corn beginning 
to ear. and Crimson clover sprouting in 
corn and cow peas. One piece of land 
was being fitted for grass seeding. Most 
farmers, at least when they begin the sys¬ 
tem, could not hope for such a mixture. 
They might cut green rye or wheat, then 
oats ai d peas or grass. These with early 
corn would be a start, and clover sowed in 
the corn would come next. In time the 
full mixture would be found useful. I 
will try to take up the crops in some de¬ 
tail. and tell how they are grown. 
Japanese millet is now being fed. It 
was in full head, and some of the stems 
seemed a little hard, but the cows were 
evidently eating it up clean. This millet 
was seeded after rye. As soon as it is out 
of the way the ground will be fitted for 
cow peas, and by the time this is ready 
these peas will be several inches high. 
After they are cut and fed the land goes' 
into rye again. Another great piece of 
Japanese millet had been seeded on an 
Alfalfa sod. Three weeks after seeding 
the millet stood at least three feet high, 
and dark green, in color. The reason for 
plowing under the Alfalfa after the first 
cutting was that it was too weedy—the 
land needed cleaning. The dark color of 
the millet showed what a successful fer¬ 
tilizer factory that Alfalfa field was. We 
have potatoes planted on an old Alfalfa 
field—where the crop had mostly run out. 
and we have never had a finer growth, 
though only a moderate amount of fertil¬ 
izer was used. Prof. Voorhees says that 
this has been an ideal season for utilizing 
sod. since the hot, moist weather has 
hastened nitrification. That millet is cer¬ 
tainly a great success. I will take up the 
other crops next week. h. w. c. 
TROUGHS FOR HEN FEEDING. 
On page 335 of The R. N.-Y. Mapes 
the hen man tells how to make drinking 
basins. For that purpose they seem very 
suitable, but as receptacles for ground 
bone, grit, etc., I prefer a small wooden 
trough. Make a V-shaped trough, like 
a hog trough, but much smaller. Mine 
are about six or eight inches across the 
top and two to three feet long. To each 
end nail an upright board that will stand 
about four to six inches above the 
trough; on top of this nail a wide 
board that will extend over the width 
of the trough. When filled with bone, 
grit or shell the hens can feed 
from it but cannot get into it. I do not 
think it would be easily cleaned if used 
for mash, but as I always feed dry feed 
that has not troubled me. These troughs 
are cheap and easily made by almost any- 
one - ___________ A. p. 
CONTROLLING A RUNAWAY. 
In a late number of The R. N.-Y. 
there was a question and answer about 
controlling a runaway. The following, 
which I saw in a newspaper many years 
ago, seems to be the most practical meth¬ 
od that I have ever heard of. Take a 
piece of stout twine or small rope and 
make a loop in it large enough to go 
around the horse’s throat; not a slip 
noose, but a loop that will not tighten. 
Put it on after the horse is hitched up and 
fasten the loop by a small twine to the 
throat-latch of the bridle. This will pre¬ 
vent its dropping too low. Carry the 
other end to the vehicle and keep with 
the lines. If the horse starts to run pull 
on the cord, and his wind is soon shut 
off, but as soon as he stops if the cord 
is slackened it allows him to breathe free¬ 
ly. A few lessons in this way will teach 
him that if he runs he will get choked. 
A. R. 
Hour 
Many Calf-feeds require time and labor in 
preparation for feeding. Swift’s Soluble 
Blood Flour (Protein 87%) is always ready. 
You have only to add it to milk or water and 
mix thoroughly — no heating necessary. 
What It Is 
Swift’s Soluble Blood Flour is almost entirely 
Protein or flesh —forming matter. It is nearest 
like the valuable food solids of milk —therefore 
the best milk substitute. It is also the cheapest. 
Ask us to send you literature: and a sample. 
Swift & Company, U. S. A. 
Animal Food Department, Desk 3 
Union Stock Yards CHICAGO 
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blood flour 
Mianaamo AKAI.YJ** 
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Because You 
Need 
The Money 
It’s your business and if vou don’t 
attend to it. who will? You cannot 
afford to keep cows for fun. That isn’t I 
business, and, furthermore, it isn’t) 
necessary. There is money in cow 
keeping if you go at it right, and be¬ 
sides there is more fun in going at it 
right than there is in staying wrong. 
You need a Tubular Cream Sepa¬ 
rator because it will make money for 
you; because it saves labor; because 
it saves time; because it means all the 
difference between cow profits and 
cow losses. 
Look into this matter; see what a 
Tubular will do for you and buy one 
because you need it. 
How would you like our book, 
“Business Dairying” - and our catalog 
B. 153both free. Write for them. 
The Sharpies Separator Co. 
West Chester, Pa. 
Toronto, Can. Chicago, III. 
“THE WORLDS STANDARD” 
DILAVAT 
5Eparator5 
THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR CO 
74 CORTLANDT ST. 
NEW YORK. 
RANDOLPH & CANAL ST. 
CHICAGO 
WEEDSPORT SILOS 
The three styles we build are mod¬ 
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The cut shows the "Weedsport 
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sliding, interchangeable doors, and 
Octagon Shingle Roof. 
A Silo will pay its cost in one year 
from saving in fodder and increase 
of milk. Write for Catalogue, stat¬ 
ing size wanted. 
THE ABRAM WALRATH CO., 
Box 83, 
WEEDSPORT, N. Y. 
The International 
Is the only Silo with an Automatic Self Adjusting 
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SILOS 
The kind that "Uncle Sam’ - uses. Contin¬ 
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WE PAY THE FREIGHT. 
MAY WE SEND YOU A CATALOGUE? 
VAN SLYKE & CO., North Tonawanda, N. Y. 
CREEN MOUNTAIN SILACE 
Is so perfectly preserved, fresh, rich and delicious that cows are 
eager for it and will leave other food to get it. It increases their 
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The Green Mountain is the standard silo of the dairying world., 
Best in every particular and fully guaranteed. 
Agents wanted in uuassigned territory. Write for booklet H 
STODDARD MFC. CO., RUTLAND, Vt. 
