The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-10-01

ABUNDANT, the ordinary COW is ABOUT
as we'll provided for as she can be to
produce milk economically Unfortu-
nately the season of abundant pastur-
age is often short. In many localities
a dry period, often several weeks, Oc-
ours during the middle or latter part
of the summer and pastures become
short and insufficient to maintain a
full flow of milk. This season is often
the critical time of the year for the
dairy COW. 1t is probable that as much
loss occurs one year with another by
lack of feed at this time as occurs
from improper feeding during the win
ter season. When the season of dry
feeding arrives the farmer expects to
feed his stock and is prepared for 1t.
On the other hand, as long as the cat
tie are on pasture and the field work
is pressing, the tendency is to let the
COWS get along the best way they can.
Under average farm conditions COWS
are fresh in the spring, give good
flow of milk while the pastures are
good, but when hot weather and short
pastures come the flow drops one-half
or two-thirds, and the COWS are almost
dry at the beginning of winter. 1t Is
almost impossible to restore the flow
of milk to the original amount after it
is once allowed to run down from lack
of feed To make large returns from
the COW large yearly production must
be kept up ten or eleven months in
the year The cheapest and most eff
cient feed to supplement pastures dur
ing this period is probably corn, either
green or in the form of silage.
Dean Waters has summed up the
advantages of corn as soiling crop
as follows: "No plant now known to
us equals corn in it's adaptability to
the soiling system. Varieties may be
selected which will yield continuous
crop of succulent food, mature enough
to have high feeding value, from the
middle of June until the severe frosts
of autumn The practice of relying
upon corn almost exclusively from the
time the earliest variety can be
brought to a reasonable state of ma
turity, until the close of the season,
is well founded and fully justified by
the results of scientific research. Corn
has the advantage Of yielding larger
quantity of digestible matter per acre
at less than any other crop suited to
soiling, and furthermore, it may be
harvested, handled and fed more con-
veniently than any other crop used,
and has higher feeding value
Hoard's Dairyman says: ut seems
to take tremendous lot of pounding
on the part of Providence to get it
into farmers heads thatea summer silo
is a grand thing The Hoard's Dairy
man herd of COWS had so tons OF
more of nice corn ensillage to turn to
when feed grew short and they have
rolled out the milk nicely right along.
Besides, they keep at it. There is
nothing like a supply of ensilage for
summer use. 1t is close by and handy
to the stable for use when you want
it. And furthermore it will produce
more milk than any other kind of soil
ing feed. You ought to see the COWS
take it down with just a little grain
feed sprinkled on top. Why should
so many farmers punish themselves
as they do by refusing to consider this
question in its right light?"
MORE EMONSTRATION WORK.
A dairy demonstration train will be
run in Oregon in October under the
direction of the Oregon Agricultural
INn