Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-07-12
ABOUT THE SUMMER PASTURE.

ABOUT THE SUMMER PASTURE.
The problem OF the summer pasture
and the extra feeding Of cows on grass
Is one that Is presenting itself In stronger
emphasis each year. To the Eastern
farmer especially II Is one that has much
to do with the future OF the dairy in
dustry. As one travels over the coun-
try and compares pastures OF the same
areas, there is but one conclusion-there
Is visible deterioration going on, aud
each year there is an addition OF foul
herbsge and decrease OF the tame
grasses until Ii is no uncommon remark
that IL requires from four to eight acres
Of pasture 10 summer = COW. Along
with II come the inquiries, Does il pay
TO summer soil COW: and What shall
We feed In addition to the pasture: The
pasture that has become so reduced In
nutritious herbsge that it requires even
four acres to partially support q COW
puts up bar TO profitable dairying,
even IL the cows were naturally OF the
best; for the securing OF living obliges
the COW to put forth an exertion and
waste OF energy TO make the daily round,
and never full meal. This leaves little
more than natures support, and the
surplus for milk making Is so small that
there can De DO profitable messes of
milk. The inquiry then comes up,
What shall feed the cows The matter
is canvassed from Western grain 10 fod-
der corn, and with this result: The
professors say that il don't pay 10 feed y
COW when on pssture. Grain costs
money, anyway. So let them run; what
milk they do give will be clear profit,
anyway" The trouble with dsirying 10
thousands of farmers Is poor summering
tina, makes the food Of support not all
clear gain, as said, but one OF expensive
rstions, far above the sale price OF the
milk. Here Is man devoting four or
five acres of pssturage 20 the summerinz
OF COW, feeding extra food In addition
the end months OF the season, and soil
ing more or less through the midsummer
He can look across the field OF
= neighbor and see him producing on an
acre OF corn, and securing, BY means OF
q silo, as much and ss valuable food and
more. The COW Is securing IL 81 the very
minimum amount Of energy and Is not
feeling that demand Of hunger thst i'm
pels her on the poor and extensive
pasture range 10 devote sixteen full
hours or more a day to trying to satisfy
the demands Of hunger.
Demand, second 10 no other, Is that OF
restoring The fertility OF our pastures
and getting back nutritious herbage in
place Of the great areas OF brush, weeds,
Wild grasses and scsnty herbage that
now exist on thousands Of dairy farms.
In the older sections there are thousands
Df acres OF pasture that never had par.
,icle OF fertility returned TO them beyond
the slight amount OF animal wastes and
the decay Of the slight overgrowth OF
vegetation. and have been all this time
giving of the fertility Of the soil, until
there is plant food that the tame grasses
can get, aud the land Is perforce given
over 10 the wild Arsbs-the mArsuders-
Of our friends. While nothing Is done
10 expel these worthless hordes OF in-
ysders, the cry goes up, What shall We
do for summer feed: IL Is clear that the
first answer Il. Make the pastures more
fertile and get back the native and tame
grasses aud make the grass ration OF the
COW abundant and nutritious, and so re-
duce both the cost aud the amount OF
energy required TO be put forth by her
10 secure IL. Then the real purport of
the INQUIRY that will come 10 the front
will not be so much for supplemental
ration as for one more largely produced
from the grazing fields.
Whist is the part the extra ration
PLAYS in this problem: Simply this: IL
Is n means OF supplying the deficiency of
the pasture and stiording the COW full
and abundant food. IL ia not argued
that the addition Of grain 10 = summer
ration of good June or early summer
pasture will increase the iow OF milk
sufficiently 20 compensate for the cost
where this extra food must be purchased.
As soon ss the grass begins TO ripen and
the task OF masticstion and digestion Is
increased the extra energy 10 this In
creased effort tells upon the mess OF
milk; but il a compensation ration Is
now added, 80 that there Is no loss
through waste Of energy, the How Is
maintained. This is patent. Grain ana
extra feeding always pays on poor
pastures 81 any time. IL l. when the
food is abundant and easily secured that
IL can be said that an extra ration 10 the
cows full capacity 10 digest aud sssimi-
late does not pay. In connection with
this there is - condition which makes
pssturS ge the most costly OF all methods
of feeding, and this Is when the cows
are compelled by the shortness OF the
feed 10 actually grub for existence.
Then II Is an exhibition OF struggle ior
existence, both BY the COWS and the
herb.ge. and where the summer Is hot
and dry the cows get insufficient sub
sis,ence. and, impelled by continuous
hunger. canuot ford the time 10 either
rest or chew their cuds and properly re-
mssticate their food. The constant crop
ping and tresding destroy much even of
the very grass roots, and then FOUL
yrowths come In. aud summer soiiing Is
forced upon the farmer because OF his
desire 10 'get the most out OF his feed.
There is much discussion going on
about the most profitable sorts and xmas
of feed for summer soiling. Ine aoSo-
Gates OF dry foods are having quite an
inning, and il appears from first glance
that clover hay Is one Of the best FOODS
mentioned. In fact, bright hay OF any
sort Is eaten and relished by the stock
and gives good maintenance results.
There seems 10 be beneficial result 10
feeding bulky, dry foods which about
EQUALS that Of concentrated grains, ana
there Is manifest profit, for feeding OF
hsy cannot equal the cost OF purchased
grain. unless abpormslly high prices
sxjs, and il IA seen st once that II elimi-
mates the daily cutting and drawing OF
coarse, heavy, bulky soliing crops
There is another fact about feeding con-
eentrsted foods IL summer soiling must
be resorted TO, and that Is we simply re,
verse what Is now considered sound
practice in winter-where silage ana
much roots are given some dry feed
should be given
In supplying a shortage OF pasture
With supplemental foods, whether green,
dry, or in grains, there Is stiii aho'ne'
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