The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-05-14
THE DAIRY.
HINTS TO BEGINNERS IN DAIRY.
ING.
No. 8,


the dairyman's consideration is tn
subject of foods.
To succeed in obtaining the creates
possible amount of butter from tn
smallest amount of money or it's equiv
alent, he needs to make the subject on
of much study.
Progressive dairying at the presen
time seem to call for a silo. Indeed
many Of our authorities on the subjec
claim that in no other way can thu
full value of the food consumed b.
realized.
Now no one can rely more fully thar
the writer of this upon the corn crop
as a winter-and summer too, for that
matter-food for cattle, especially
mich COWS. We begin to feed 1T In
July Or August when pastures fail to
give sufficient grass, and continue un
til fall rains make further use OF 1T un-
necessary. Then es soon as winter
feeding begins we start the corn fodder
again. But we have no sllo. The
principal reason for this lies In the fact
that our observations of other peoples
silos have led us to the conclusion that
aside from the first cost which is con-
siderable, there must be a frequent re-
newal of some portions Of 1t nearly
every year, thus making the malnten-
ance of one a continual expense. We
have, however, a very good substitute
for one which I will tell you of and the
cost is nothing but a little work, and a
few boards.
We cut our corn stalks, as we need
them, with a feed cutter, after draw
ing them to the barn in the fall and
stacking in small stacks outside. The
fodder is always secured in good con-
dition, and before it becomes weather
beaten and discolored.
AS the stalks after cutting will de-
velope considerable heat even when
dry, we only cut sufficient at once for
a couple of weeks feeding. We have
q tight floor and sides in a convenient
corner of the barn and adjacent to the
COW stable where we mix the cut stalks
and the ground feed in layers, sprink-
ling we'll with water from the we'll
which is in the same place, pump
handle within three feet of the feed
box. By preparing this twenty-four
hours in advance considerable heat is
generated in the mass so that when we
feed it it is warm. This we call a good
substitute for ensilage at a very slight
expense. We save the ear corn, and
by feeding exactly es much grain as
we want to know just how much each
COW gets. The corn fodder thus treated
gives fully as satisfactory returns as
clover hay, after experimenting with
both, and at certainly not more than
half the cost of clover. We feed corn
fodder almost continuously until the
first of April.
Now as to the grain. We have been
experimenting along this line for ff
teen years. First we tried corn and
oats. What was good, although rather
an expensive feed. When we began to
cast about for a substitute for oats one
year when they were 40 cents a bushel
we tried wheat bran, and thought so
highly Of it that we have used it ever
since. So after fixing upon that we
tried roots, but not discarding the
bran. Roots are good for the cows
condition when forced to eat dry food
for the entire winter. They are good
for her system generally and also good
milk ration, but 1 can't say that we
find them of special benefit, and they
are hard to raise. After feeding corn,
oats, and bran for years we were in
duced to try gluten feed-and with us
1t has come to stay. We feed it with
wheat bran and nothing else in the line
Of grain. l care not whether it is a
balanced ration or not, our COWS give
more milk and make more butter when
fed corn fodder, wheat bran and gluten
meal than any other combination we
have yet tried. Buckwheat middlings
ls good, so is cotton seed meal, but az
long as we continue to follow dairying.
wheat bran and Buffalo gluten will bt
our standard grain ration for milcl
COWS. 1t is not only the best. but tn,
cheapest. This may not suit every
body's ideas, but it does ours.
E. E. lockwood.
Genesee Co., Mich.