The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-03-06
DAIRY RATlONS.
Lessons Taught by the Increased Winter
Butter Production.

Lessons Taught by the Increased Winter
Butter Production.
Milk and butter production in winter
has become so thoroughly established
that dairymen are gradually abandon
ing the laying down of the whole sum-
mer make, and selling it in the late fall
or early winter. They find fresh butter
is so much preferred that the entire
product of diaries is sold from twenty !
TO forty per cent less. This offers no
-inducement to accumulate the summers
make, because it is not likely to bring
more than if sold when fresh. This in
creased winter butter production has
led dairymen to study somewhat the
proper food required when only dry
fodder is at hand. They are aware that
milk can not proftably be produced on
hay alone, and they first turn their at
tention to corn-meal. This is certainly
excellent as part of the ration. Good,
sweet corn-meal is not only healthy and
profitable food for the COW, but assists
in giving fine flavor to the milk, and
when as cheap as other foods should
always form an essential part OF the
ration. But corn-meal is not rich in the
heterogeneous elements required to form
the casein or curd of the milk, and this
composes almost one-third of the solid
contents of milk If the COWS are fed
upon the best clover hay, then corn
meal may make up the balance of the
ration, because clover hay is rich in
heterogeneous or muscle-forming matter.
But dairymen often have to feed poor
mixed quality of hay, or even straw,
and then other foods having more
muscle-forming element should make
part of the ration. Besides,
dairymen should remember that they
can hardly err in giving too many kinds
of food in the dairy ration. The greater
the variety, the better the flavor of the
milk, and the better the condition of the
COWS, as well as the larger the quantity
of milk. 1t has become popular among
the best Jersey feeders to give portion
of pea-meal. This is strongly nitrogen
GUS food. and its office is to keep up the
condition and vigor of the COW, by re-
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the surplus goes to make the same ele-
ments in the milk. But as pca-meal
costs as much or more than new process
'linseed-meal, we think the latter more
valuable in the ration for milk, because
lit possesses all the good qualities of
pea-meal. besides being more soothing
to the digestive organs and slightly lax
alive, while pea-meal is the opposite.
Wheat bran is also a good food for milk,
and often bears very reasonable price,
generally slightly less than the best hay,
but 1t has higher feeding value than
any hay. Wheat middlings is also a
most excellent food, having more starch
than Iran, and more nearly approxi-
mates to corn-meal in quality. Malt
sprouts are often found at low price
ten dollars to twelve dollars per ton,
and if of good quality may be used
profitably in the ration, but these re-
quire soaking some twelve hours before
feeding. When oats are as cheap, per
weight, as corn, then corn and oats
should be ground together, in equal
weights, and this meal will be found a
profitable food for milk.
Now, let us see how we can combine
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