The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-18
News Of the Farm
ABOUT THE DAIRY COW.

ABOUT THE DAIRY COW.
With the advent of the growing season
begins lessening OF the cost of food for
stock. Dairymen will have less labor to
perform in spring and summer, as the
COWS can be put on pasture. and conse-
quently feed themselves. Nevertheless,
there are many points from which the
matter of producing milk and butter at
the lowest cost may be viewed. Every
dairyman should first know the charac-
teristics of the cows in the herd. With
the aid of the scales he should be able to
estimate the amount of food consumed
by each individual, and by the use of the
milk testerhe can keep himself informed
of what each cow is doing. Unless he uses
these precautions he will be operating in
the dark. There is a wide difference in
the capacity of cows, even when of the
same breed, and this difference may be
of such as to cause a loss from one COW
while the other gives profit. In a herd
of from 20 to 40 cows there may be some
excellent animals, and the entire herd
may give profit, yet among them may
be some that entail loss mad at the same
time increase the cost for labor. At a re-
cent test at the Pennsylvania Experiment
Station il was found that a COW in herd
that produced 296 pounds of butter in a
year only gave profit of $50, while an
other cow that produced only 296 pounds
in the same period gave profit OF $50.
The capacity of one cowwas to digest and
assimilate the food better than the
other. The profit was not in the quantity
Of hut
of the cost.
The cost of the food largely depends on
the means for procuring the food. II a
herd of cows are given a large pasture
field of 20 or thirty acres the use Of the
land must be considered. and if the crops
are eaten off by the cows it means a cor
responding reduction Of the hay at har-
vest time. If more food can be grown on
10 acres than the cows can consume on
p, the farmers utilities less land for his
stock and increases his area for cultfva-
ton OF grain, hay or some other crop for
the market His cows. however. will
give the most product and keep in better
condition on succulent food in the sum-
mer. The question comes up whether il
will pay him to grow the green food on
for foraging. Sheep also must come in
for place on the farm, as they will con-
sumo large share OF green food that
viii not be accepted by cattle. One point
IS admitted, which is that even on the
pasture ii is cheaper TO hurdle the cattle
on a portion OF the field than to give them
full liberty over the whole; of course the
cost Of the hurdles or fences. and the la
Dor Of removing and rearrauging them,
Is Objectionable. but the labor and cost
Of doing that which is most conducive
70 profit should not be an objection II the
ultimate results are satisfactory.
Farmers should give some attention TO
green crops, whether they use the pas
ture OF not Green crops afford a large
variety and cost less than any other food
giving large amounts of forage and as
sistiug in keeping the land il good condi-
tion. Rye. crimson clover. red clover
COW peas. green peas. rape and oats are
all suitable for producing green food in
abundance. and, as rye and crimson clo-
Yer give a supply in the spring. before
grass has made growth OF any conse-
quence. the should always be in the line
81 rotation. Oats and peas. broaGcasts6
together. may BE seeded now. Y the
ground Is not frozen, and they viii give
q larger amount OF green food or one
acre than can be secured from three or
four times that much OF pasture. and the