The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-01
FEEDING FOR MILK.
How to Increase the Quantity of the MILK
without InjurinS Its Qualify.

"Will You give scientific formula for
feeding mlch cows?' writes Pennsyl-
vania correspondent. 1t is well to re-
mark right here at the commencement
of our reply, that scientific feeding is
not always practical or best. That is
to say, it is not always practical to feed
the very best possible food that exists.
The reasons will readily suggest them
selves. Now we often recommend lin
seed meal. which is one of the very best
foods for all animals that can be had
and ought to be fed much more gener-
ally than it is. But it is not practical to
feed it in thousands of cases. In some
eases feeding it is utterly out of the
question. To attempt to get it on the
farm. in such cases, would destroy all
the profits of herd of cows perhaps.
The dairyman or farmer under such cir
cumStanceS can not feed it. even though
science should say, there is no other
proper food to give cow" He must
turn 20 something less expensive, and
which, though it may not produce as
good results as feeding oil-mcal would.
vet will give results i'll which there is
some profit. Scientific feeding, too, is
not always practical because it neceSsi-
tates Investigations that a common man
is seldom capable of making. For in
stance, folders and grains are not al
ways equally good. Seasons, soils and
manner of handling make difference
The rations for mich cows are quite
numerous. and have frequently been
tested in experiments. The standards
OF feeding. however, it will be remem-
bered, are foreign standards. We have
no recognized standards in this country.
Recently some of our experiment sta
tons have been pursuing commenda-
BILE course to establish standards. But
the foreign tables have been our guide
in this country, and rations have been
made by them which have proved val
liable. Prof. HOrsfall's rations for
cows in milk has been used as Il guide.
and Prof. Stewart has recommended
the following as being superior: Ten
pounds of clover hay: ten pounds of
straw; four pounds of linseed oil cake;
four pounds of wheat bran; two pounds
of cotton seed cake, and four pounds of
cOrnmcal. But the following is simpler
and just as good: Sixteen pounds of
meadow hay; eight pounds of wheat
bran: two pounds of linseed meal and
six pounds of cornmeal. This we re-
gard As Il very perfect ration. And if
we have enSilage we can make ration
still more simple and most excellent
one, especially if it is clover ensilage.
For instance: sixty pounds of clover
ensilaged and four pounds of cornmea!.
If it is corn cnsilage the following would
be good: Forty pounds of corn ensilage;
forty pounds of clover and four pounds
of bran; or instead of the bran we may
Use forty pounds of millet.
In all scientific" feeding of mich
COWS, full supply of water must not
be forgotten. Cows are great drinkers.
They must necessarily be. Cows that
are in milk drink great deal more
water than fattening cattle do. 1t has
been found that cow giving only
twenty pounds OF milk per day, will
drink forty pounds more water than
will fattening cattle of the same way.
We see, therefore, that, feed the best we
may, if we neglect the water supply Our
science will be very defective. There is
an erroneous impression in some minds
that too much water Injuries the quality
of the milk. This is not true, according
to careful examinations that have been
made. The quantity of the milk will be
increased, and the quality will not he
injured. Western Rurdl.