Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-25

ever been to supply his cows with pro-
tsin in a cheap and abundant form. The
oretically. this may De accomplished by
growing an abundance of legumes. In
practice il fails to work out, for while
the average farmer may have supplied
himself abundantly with silage as his
principal form of roughage, there ara
very few who have an adequate amount
Of cowpea. alfalfa or clover hay on
hand Even with these materials pro-
duced on the farm, a point is soon reach
Cd where the COW cannot consume
sufficient amount OF roughage to supply
the protein needs Of her body therefrom,
because although she has a very large
and ample digestive system, protein in
the form or roughage is ont concen-
trated TO anything like the degree which
prevails in cotton seed mean. Thus while
il is advisable to use legume hay, 1t is
not practicable to substitute it for con-
centrates rich i'm protein.
At this season Of the year large num-
bers of letters are received from dairy
men complaining about the falling of in
milk flow and wondering how they can
cOunteract this tendency. The trouble
is attributed, for instance, to cold wealth
er. the supposedly natural perversity of
cows, the advance in the lactation period,
Ia bad quality of forage, and a deficien-
Cy in silage. Sometimes the herdsman
is believed not TO feed or water the
cows with regularity and indeed this
is often true. Seldom il ever, howev-
er. is the primary cause Of this trouble
hit upon or appreciated. namely. de-
iciency OF protein in the great MAORI
~ Of ratious fed to cows That this
is a widespread defect is shown by the
testimony OF the Missouri College of
Agriculture to the effect that the ad-
dition of two pounds of cotton seed
meal day to the ration OF a dairy COW
which had previously received corn alone
resulted in a surprising increase in the
flow OF milk. This COW had received
besides the grain ration of corn, fodder
and timothy hay for roughness. All Of
these materials are low in protein, yet
the above ration is one fed on thousands
OF farms all over the United states. In
fact in many places in the south, tim
othy hay and other similar foods are
being purchased and fed as roughage
at an excessive cost whe nsOmething
else like hulls, good shredded corn
stOver. peavine hay or mixed hay of
any kind would answer just as we'll,
provided the roughage is promptly sup
piemented with an abundance of protein
in a concentrate like cotton seed meal
The conclusion reached in Missouri,
namely. that Sin spite of the many
things that have combined TO raise the
price Of cotton seed meal this year, il
is. probably the cheapest concentrate to
buy for the purpose of improving and
balancing up a ration for dairy cows"
comedies remarkably with our own eX-
perience, judgment and observation. 1t
appears from the figures presented that
this statement is based on cost price
of SIS and upwards per ton for cotton
seed meal. Therefore, farmers living
in the southeastern states where cotton
seed meal is abundantly produced and
has always been sold at a reasonable
price when its food and fertilizing value
is considered, should have no difficulty
in amending and adjusting their rations
80 as to greatly increase the flow OF
milk
One not familiar with the situation
would probably be surprised to find
what large quantities Of bran. corn, oats
and shorts are shipped into the south
TO be used in rations for dairy cows,
under the impression that these are the
ingredients which will enable the farmer
20 provide the cheapest and most desir-
able ration. There are in fact farms
where cotton seed meal Is not fed, or
AT least. utilized In the most limited
way. Just why there should be such
an abiding faith in these old and very
expensive forms of concentrates is hard
to understand Probably IL is attribut-
able in a measure to the inherent dis
position OF the Anglo-Saxon, with his
INSTRUMENTATION. to hold fast to the
old and accept the new with great
caution. II wheat bran. for instance.
can he purchased at S1.OO hundred
or $4,000 A ton, the protein IL contains
viii cost about SIS cents a pound. AS
a matter Of fact wheat bran can not
I've bought for $1,000; in most instances
4 viii cost $4,000, or even higher, MAX
ing the protein cost nearly u cents i'm
stead Of SIS cents pound. Even put
ting the most liberal construction on
the case and giving bran the benefit
OF the doubt. however, il only provides
available protein at high cost. On the
other hand. cotton seed meal, even
though costing S3s.0O a ton, viii provide
protein at a cost not TO exceed cents
a pound In other words, every time