Oxford Democrat., 1913-02-18

tended for this department 70 HENRY
HAhhosD, Agricultural Editor Oxford Dem
ocrst. Paris. Ne.
Corn Plant Important Dairy Feed.
THE DICrA OF THEORISTS OF LESS VALUE
THAN THE cows VERDICT.
Careful observers of practical meth
DDS in dairy feeding have for some time
noted the growing tendency to draw
more and more heavily on the corn crop
for the ration, not of course cOntining
the winter feeding to corn and cot
meal and corn stover, as is very often
done by so-called dairymen who have
not studied the needs of the COW or the
economics of good feeding. But, as
stated. the growing tendency is toward
the more iDtelligently extensive use OF
corn as an economical, productive ration
base-all that may be used with profit,
then other things needful being added
thereunto.
This is unquestionsbly the result OF
the practical feeder having forced upon
him the fact that much of the theory of
the earliest dairy teaching that told the
dsiryman that COW could not possibly
make milk from corn, and that she must
be coaxed up with the by-product feeds
of commerce, was wrong teaching and
very Improbable.
MANY THINGS WE DON'T KNOW.
Indeed, il may be noted, also, that
| many of the theoretical COW feeders have
followed the growing tendency and are
now advising more corn. The chemists
NAV not be able TO find in milk con-
trolling abundance of the elements We
know the corn plant delights to elabo
rate, and the theorist has, therefore, nat
urally assumed that the cow can't make
her milk from such feed.
We may pride ourselves upon the
many things We have studied out about
the good COW, but we are generally ST.
lent about the things We do not know
about T or her performances; hence,
until We do have more exact knowledge
of what she can or cannot do We pain
farmers are inclined to accept as our
feeding guide the results of the COW
rather than the reasonings of the schools,
whe1 the two do not agree.
VARIETY STANDS FOR FEED EFFICIENCY
We generally admit that the COW needs
more protein than she can get from
normal aud economical consumption OF
corn. Then We believe, in an as yet not
exactly proved way, that variety in her
rations stands for feed efficiency, so We
wisely give her both protein and variety
IN some protein carrying concentrate
and in the leguminous hays.
However much the accommodating
COW NAV be able to use protein for the
functions of carbohydrates in her feed,
we know il is not good feeding TO re-
duire her to make such suostitutions.
How ever important the protein may De
| in the COW operation OF making mix,
we know the carbohydrates are funda-
mentally as much il not more important 10
furnishing her with bodily vitality and
thrift sufficient for her TO make milk at
all.
COWS THAT DO THE BEST WORK.
For concrete example, the cows that
do the best work in my dairy both in
milk giving and offspring reproduction
are the ones that are rich IN feed con-
suming and dairy performance inherit.
auce, possess dairy characteristics oil
structure and temperament, and when
continuously sufficiently fed carry such
amounts of we'll distributed flesh as in-
dicate their physical ability TO do my
work as their work.
This condition of tue good COW means
TO me heavy consumption OF corn, for
through such consumption she and are
both gainers-coru for me grows aound-
antly gloriously, quickly and therefore
cheaply, For the COW, corn Is always
palatable, always easily digested and as
simulated; that which the COW needs Tor
her life and work and which the corn Is
able to supply she gets more chesply Tor
me and easily and enjoyably for herself
from corn than from any other source IN
the world; hence we both love the corn
crop.
EXPERIENCE A GOOD TEACHER.
| grow the corn and she eats all OF 1t
she can use economically, and as 1t
means the greatest good to her il means
the most profit to both of US. How
much of this corn my COW uses for d.
rectly making milk is Of very little ousi,
| ness concern Of mine. True, l would
like to know exactly, know II as a STU
dent, so that might the more exegeti-
cally preach the beatitudes OF corn.
I have had personal experiences with
the silo from the early days OF its life IN
| America, when we didn't know much
about either it's greatest usefulness or lis
limitations, and have never lost faith
| in il as one of the important factors IN
bovine animal husbandry.
CORN FOR THE sILo.
In planting my corn for the silo l use
a large growing, early maturing variety,
a larger growing intermediate KIND ana
a yery large late W bite corn. This plan
of planting permits of my beginning to
fill the silos early and continuing u late
without undue rush or hurry At the
work, enabling me to economically use
nv regular farm lsborers at the work
and saving the expense and worry at
tendant upon having large, unorganized
force of extra men, even II they are 70 De
had.
In nv deliberate filling think | Sc
cure rather better silsge than where it is
all cut in a day or 40, and by continuing
the cutt ing at frequent intervals, as the
silags settles in the silo, am able to
have INV silos practically full at the end
of the season. This method 10, OF course,
unly practicable when one owns his own
cutting outfit.
Al Productive RATION.
As soon as we begin filling We begin
feeding. The cows get In addition to
such pasturage as We may have all the
cut corn they will eat twice day. In
addition, also, they are fed all the clover
or alfalfa hay they will eat, and small
allowance of-say, for a standards
mixture of corn and oobmsal, three
parts, gluten feed, two parts, and cotton
ssed meal, one part. The cows are
housed at night the year through, and
even during the pasture season will ea'
very heavy feeds of good hay after the
evening milking.
NV corn for silsge is heavily cared
and no ears are removed. The Jerseys
will eat from thirty to forty pounds
day. The silage and hay aud cornmea
are crops which have grown prohtablI
ON nv own land and furnish the s'ruc
, ture of a producing ration. The bough
feeds are varied according to pslatsbiiit!
feeding value and cost. Good cows In
variabiy pay good profit upon reason
able amounts of bought feed, while Sc
oure a valuable bonus from their use II
the added plant food they contribute T.
: the manure, thus bringing to my land
IL .o.t t, ka coro having malt