946 
7ht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June 28, 1924 
Live Stock Matters 
Conducted By Prof. F. C. Minkler 
A Discussion of Rations 
W'hat is the very best balanced ration 
for a herd of registered Guernseys mak¬ 
ing advanced registry records? Also, 
what hay, roughage, etc., they should be 
fed? A. G. 
New York. 
There is no such thing as “the very best 
balanced ration” for a dairy herd where 
Advanced Registry testing is being under¬ 
taken, although certain feed manufactur¬ 
ers and ambitious herdsmen often claim 
that the manufacturer can compound ra¬ 
tions which meet this qualification. There 
are so many factors to be considered in 
the compounding of rations, and so much 
variation in the analysis of ingredients 
that one is forced to do more or less ex¬ 
perimenting on his own premises and 
with his own animals before he can ar¬ 
rive at the most useful mixture. 
Much depends upon the quality of the 
roughage available. Preferably Alfalfa 
or clover hay should be fed in addition to 
supplementing a quality of protein which 
is easily assimilated. Legumes of this 
character are rich in mineral matter and 
carry the vitamines so much talked of. 
Beet pulp, or succulence of some char¬ 
acter, is essential in order that the appe¬ 
tites of the representatives of the dairy 
herd may be kept on edge and the indi¬ 
viduals induced to consume a safe amount 
of feed. The mere supplying of a given 
amount of pounds to a given individual 
producing a stated amount of milk is not 
enough. It is necessary to cater more or 
less to the individual likes and dislikes 
of representatives of the herd. Especial¬ 
ly is this desirable where Advanced Reg¬ 
istry records are being made. It is sig¬ 
nificant that some cows like their grain 
w'ith their silage or beet pulp, and that 
others prefer to have their feed moistened 
and combined with cut hay. It is only 
the careful herdsman who is able to de¬ 
termine these likes and dislikes and ca¬ 
ters to them who is most successful in 
his operations. 
Of course where cows are out to grass 
Summer combinations may be provided. 
1£ one studies the feed and production 
records as reported in the Guernsey 
Breeders' Journal he can easily conclude 
there is a great variation in the number 
and kind of selections that can be used 
for making records. An observer of Ad¬ 
vanced Registry work once told me that 
he had long since learned to take with a 
grain of salt the information which breed¬ 
ers had volunteered as formulating the 
basis for rations which a given class lead¬ 
er was fed. Seemingly he shared the be¬ 
lief that the herdsman was not anxious 
to make public the combinations that he 
used and often reported combinations 
which were feasible. So the more one 
knows about feeding the less is he in¬ 
clined to contend that any given combina¬ 
tion is the one combination best adapted 
for his use. True enough, Advanced 
Registry testing is often done without 
very much regard to the cost of the ra¬ 
tion. This is an unfortunate condition. 
Efficiency of production a§ well as the 
quantity of the product should be a de¬ 
termining factor. 
Assuming that you have good pastures 
and that you will provide a good quality 
of roughage, and that you are willing to 
expend time and money in choosing your 
ingredients from a relatively wide range 
of available feeds, we suggest the follow¬ 
ing combination. It will provide approx¬ 
imately a 24 per cent combination if the 
feeds selected are of average quality. 
Here again it is most important that, in 
feeding test cows, the products be tasty 
and most carefully selected. For instance* 
if there are lumps of bran in the bag and 
these are sifted out, they are known to 
cause fermentation or heating and may be 
responsible for the development of a toxic 
condition which makes the mixture unpal¬ 
atable. The mixture follows: 150 lbs. of 
linseed meal, 100 lbs. cottonseed meal, 200 
lbs. gluten feed, 200 lbs. bran, 100 lbs. 
ground oats, 50 lbs. corn germ meal, 200 
lbs. hominy. 
Make sure that the cottonseed meal 
carries at least 43 per cent of protein. 
If the cows are giving more than 40 lbs. 
of milk a day it might be well to replace 
half of the gluten feed with gluten meal. 
The gluten meal carries about twice as 
much protein as gluten feed, and concen¬ 
tration where beet pulp and pasture is 
available has its advantages. 
Feeding Jersey Herd 
I have charge of a herd of purebred 
Jerseys, and would like to get a rule for 
a balanced ration using home-grown 
wheat and oats the rest we have to buy. 
We have no silage, but use moistened 
beet pulp and pasture in season. Should 
the feed be changed any during pasture 
season? Our hay is mostly a medium 
grade Timothy with a little clover in it. 
Dutchess Co. N. Y. N. H. R. 
For a herd of purebred Jerseys where 
luxuriant pasture is available a complete 
ration carrying between 18 and 20 per 
cent of protein would result from com¬ 
bining ingredients in the following pro¬ 
portions : 350 lbs. corn or hominy meal, 
250 lbs. gluten feed, 150 lbs. cottonseed 
meal, 150 lbs. bran, 100 lbs. ground oats. 
It would seem desirable that the wheat 
be sold at prevailing market prices and 
that the carbohydrate be supplied by the 
corn or hominy meal. Corn products 
plus bran make a better combination than 
ground wheat, although it is possible to 
substitute wheat for the corn or hominy 
meal. In this event some bran should be 
added in order to provide a condition 
that would be most desirable. 
It is not essential that beet pulp be 
supplied the milking herd when they 
have access to good pasture. Ordinarily 
beet pulp is recognized as a succulent 
feed, useful in replacing or supplement¬ 
ing silage. Corn or hominy meal costs 
less per ton than beet pulp and in feed¬ 
ing value it carries substantially more 
units of energy. However, where the 
grade of hay is very poor it is possible 
to increase the flow of milk by utilizing 
some beet pulp in conjunction with the 
hay. 
If it is desired to feed this herd dur¬ 
ing the late Summer when the grass is 
less succulent, it would be well to re¬ 
place some of the gluten meal with lin¬ 
seed meal. The selection of the protein 
concentrates to supplement the wheat 
and' oats or the corn and oats is depend¬ 
ent upon prices. Giving due considera¬ 
tion to the matter of variety, it is well 
to select the protein contributor which 
will provide a unit of protein at the 
least cost. .Linseed meal, however, con¬ 
tributes qualities other than its protein 
and should be incorporated in rations to 
the extent of at least 15 per cent dur¬ 
ing the non-pasture season. 
Countrywide Produce Situation 
EARLY POTATOES RIG FEATURE — MONEY 
CROPS IN THE NORTH—FRUIT LATE 
HUT PROMISING-GENERAL CROP OUT¬ 
LOOK UNSETTLED. 
Southern potatoes reach their peak of 
market leadership in July when Virginia, 
the great early potato State, is in full 
swing. After July the North and West 
•come gradually into the market, beginning 
with New Jersey and Kansas, then Ne¬ 
braska, the early land of Minnesota, 
Southern Idaho, Maine and the rest. The 
year around average is about 5,000 cars a 
week, and twice as many more are teamed 
direct to market or used in the country. 
Some go to waste, but not many this sea¬ 
son as compared with the year before. 
There are few old potatoes left and the 
price held strong to the last. 
CROPS IN THE POTATO COUNTRY 
It is noted that one of The R. N.-Y. 
potato farmers in Northern Maine com¬ 
plains of lack of profit on the recent po¬ 
tato crop, sold on the basis of 65c per bu. 
It is true the margin is small at best, but 
it looks as if Maine farmers came through 
the season better than any other impor¬ 
tant potato section, because of the large 
yield of excellent quality and the lower 
freight rates as compared with many other 
•States. Even Western growers did not 
seem wholly discouraged, but have plant¬ 
ed about as many potatoes as usual. A 
report from the New Brunswick potato 
region, which adjoins Aroostook County, 
and with conditions very much like those 
of Northern Maine, remarks “the excel¬ 
lent crop produced in 1923, and the aver¬ 
age price of $1.90 per bbl. placed the po¬ 
tato growers in a good position so that 
they will be enabled to meet expenses and 
purchase fertilizer for the present sea¬ 
son.” After all, that is about all that can 
be said for any staple crop in recent 
years. Note the price practically the 
same as paid in Maine although for ship¬ 
ment to Canadian city markets. 
The price looks almost good, compared 
with the Spring of 1915, for instance, 
when Maine potatoes were selling as low 
as 15c per bu. It would be hard to pick 
out any crop that does well in Northern 
Maine likely to show better results in 
these times. There is some tendency in 
various potato sections to diversify a lit¬ 
tle and to raise enough hay, grain and 
live stock to keep things going when po¬ 
tatoes fail to pay. 
Those who have traveled through the 
potato country have noticed that some 
towns seem quite poorly provided with 
fresh milk, cream, eggs and early vege¬ 
tables. Another little specialty that 
might pay a few of the right men to try 
as an experiment would be hardy fruits 
that would reach the large markets at the 
right time. Sour cherries of the late 
Morello type would reach New York and 
Boston after other cherries were prac¬ 
tically done, and would have a good mar¬ 
ket to themselves. McIntosh apples, crab- 
apples, red and black currants might find 
a late season outlet for limited quantities. 
FRUIT OUTLOOK FAIR 
The June total peach estimate of 52,- 
000,000 bu. represents a production not 
far from half the quantity of the com¬ 
mercial apple crop. It is 7,000,000 bu. 
more than estimated last season, although 
3,000,000 bu. less than the 1922 crop. 
California leads, as usual, with about one- 
fourth of the total. Georgia, with 7,000.- 
000 bu., is the heavy Eastern producer, 
but North and South Carolina are^ im¬ 
portant competitors, while New York, 
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecti¬ 
cut form another group with about the 
same combined production as Georgia. 
Still another State group of similar ca¬ 
pacity this season is Texas, Oklahoma 
and Arkansas. Shipments so far are only 
a few hundred cars. The receipts includ¬ 
ed considerable fruit of very ordinary 
quality, as usual during the early part of 
the season. Prices tended lower, in 
Northern markets, of $2 to $3 per six- 
basket carrier, which holds about three- 
fourths of a bushel, but the growers 
were getting only about $1 net. It is 
doubtful whether any region can afford to 
burden the early markets with the small, 
dry, inferior kinds, that ripen first. 
Western box apples show more and 
more injury from the Spring freeze. The 
output is likely to be reduced by one- 
third. Center of heavy apple production 
will move Eastward this season, with a 
good crop expected in New York, Michi¬ 
gan and Virginia, the three leading 
States. •••;.. 
A IJandy and Efficient Farm Team 
TOO COOL FOR MELONS 
Melons are three weeks late and selling 
slowly because of so much cool weather. 
In Southern Georgia and extending far 
down into Florida is the great Eastern 
melon region, ■with about 70,000 acres 
planted this season. Texas has a melon 
patch about half as large, but increaeing 
faster than any other region. The yield 
and markets are highly variable. Grow¬ 
ers have been paid $1,000 for early car- 
lots of about 1,000 melons this season, but 
the demand proved weak and prices have 
been cut in half. 
The June report on strawberries indi¬ 
cated a production about 6 per cent less 
than in 1923. The decrease was chiefly 
in the intermediate States, Delaware, Cal¬ 
ifornia, Kentucky and Iowa. Losses were 
due to weather conditions. Some gains 
were shown in Missouri, but Tennessee is 
still the greatest berry State. The total 
berry acreage has been increasing right 
along the past four years. Prices of 6 
to 14c wholesale are nothing to encourage 
more planting. Best openings are in 
small markets close to the growers. 
The general crop outlook as suggested 
by the Government reports of June 9 is 
rather poor. But. the tumble is due more 
to backwardness than to actual damage. 
A spell of the right kind of weather would 
bring a great change in the situation. 
G. B. F. 
BOYS AND GIRLS 
(Continued from Page 941) 
One girl says: “Vacation time will 
soon be here, and with it our June page. 
How glad I am that it does not take a 
vacation, too! Am I selfish?” Of course 
not, providing you do your share to help. 
Our Page does not want a vacation ; ’t 
wants only to go to all its boys and girls 
every single month and to be better each 
time than the last. 
The drawing made by Frederic Ahern 
for our heading was well done. It was 
large, more than a foot across, and had 
to be greatly reduced to fit one column 
(two columns would have been too 
much), but even so you can get a good 
idea of his piece of work. Credit is also 
due to Anna Graham (14 years), of Illi¬ 
nois who sent a heading drawing that 
could have been used. The other draw¬ 
ings printed speak for themselves and 
add much to make this an attractive 
page. 
Now goodbye again for a month. Don’t 
forget to write soon to your friend and 
editor, Edward M. Tuttle, in care The 
Rural New-Yorker, 333 West 30th St., 
New York City. 
List of June Contributors 
These are the readers who answered the May 
page before this one went to the printer. The 
name itself indicates that a letter was received 
from that boy or girl. Following each name is 
the age, whenever given, and a series of alpha¬ 
betical symbols referring to various coutribu- 
' tions according to the following key: 
b—Words for the box. 
d—A drawing, 
e—An essay, 
g—A game. 
k—A new book or poem puzzle. 
1—Correct answer to last book puzzle, 
m—A new nature puzzle, 
n—Correct answer to last nature jtuzzle. 
o—An original poem, 
p—A photographic picture, 
r—A rhyme for drawing, 
s—A story, 
v—A memory verse, 
x—Correct answer to last puzzle, 
z—A new puzzle or riddle. 
Connecticut: Alice Lewis (10, k), Grace Lewis 
(0, v), Helen Naklicki (o). 
Illinois: Anna Graham (14, d, r), Charles 
Graham (12, z). 
Maine: Rebecca Spencer (13, d, r), Evelyn 
Hall (13, 1), Marian Gray (12, s, v), Dorothy 
Candage (12, k, v). 
Massachusetts: Jennie Maliuoski (13, e, 1), 
Ruth Eaton (10, d), Miriam Tilden (14, m, z). 
New Hampshire: Edith Kelley (8, g, x). 
New Jersey: Evangeline Dono (15), Richard 
Brandt (10), Kathryn Rice (11, d, o), Dorothy 
Frylinek (14 g, v). 
New York: Edith Rethore (12, d), Ruth 
Behrend (g), Norma Burlingame (14, b, g, k, 
m, r, z), M. Wessels (v), Ethel Pohl (11, g), 
Oscar Rasmussen (11, d), Florence Rasmussen 
(9, d), George Eichenauer (14, d), Josephine 
Stiles (11, g, o), Marie Ehrhardt (13, d), Helen 
Lyke, Ellen Rickard (16, d, x), Charlotte Booth 
(15, d), Jenny Olson (16, g), Peggy Gorham (9, 
v, x, z), Mildred Klein (11. e, 1), Eloise Skin¬ 
ner (8, d), Dorothy Skinner (9, d), Dorothy 
Denton (13, m, n), Margaret Terrell (11, g, 1), 
Ruth Thomas (13, g, 1, x, z), Olive Riker (v), 
Ruth Truesdale (10, 1, m, n), Nina Truesdale 
(1, m, n, v), Aubrey Gregory (13, d, r), Monica 
Starkweather (11, s), Minnie Fosburg (13, ,,v), 
Eva Robillard (14, d, g), Morris Jenkins (8, 1), 
Blanche Vodvarka (13, d), Frederic Ahern (17, 
d), Eleanor Myer (g), Kenneth Jacobia (9, d, 
n), Mildred Kinser (d, 1). 
Ohio: Verner Anderson (12), Wilda Stanford 
(12, V). 
Pennsylvania: John Pinar (9, x, z), Jean 
Davies (11, 1), Anna Warner (12, g, n), Cath¬ 
erine Plynn (12, d), Miriam Kachel (d, g, z), 
Clarence Heft (10, g), Nettie Stull (n, v). 
Rhode Island: Evelyn Bishop (15, m). 
.Virginia: Annie Caljouw (d, z). 
West Virginia: Winona Taylor (15, d), Ev¬ 
erett Allender (12, n, v, z). 
