The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-03-19
Alfalfa Will Produce Butterfat at

Alfalfa Will Produce Butterfat at
Low Cost-Regardless of breed, size,
or color, no dairy COW is capable of
producing milk or butterfat at low
cost, unless she is properly fed. Sue
cess in dairying consists as much in
getting feed of the right kind as in
building up a high producing herd.
The average man who milks cows, as
a rule is more likely to pay attention
to good cows than to watching little
leaks in the feed bill, according to
the Blue Valley Creamery Institute.
The farmer or community that is
able to secure good feed at the most
reasonable production cost will be
most successful in making all the
profit it is possible to make.
The man who milks cows has the
opportunity-daily-of comparing the
various cows in his herd, and also of
comparing his herd with that of his
neighbor. Daily observation gives
him an opportunity to note obvious
defects, and having noticed them he
is likely to correct them. When it
comes to a question of feed he can
not tell it's composition by looking At
it, and since he does not make an eff
fort to determine the returns from
different feeds he is not liable to give
to feed the attention that is import
ance demands.
A careful study by practical,
widely travelled men in the Blue Val
ley Creamery Institute, has convinced
them that dairy farmers in Stearns
county need feed that is high in pro-
tein. These men say that protein is
needed because milk is essentially a
protein product. A cow cannot make
skimmilk-or any other kind of milk,
except normal milk. What g>es into
the milk must first go into the cows
ration. If something is lacking max
imum production is not made. The
greater the production the greater the
net profit. In order to produce heav-
lily the cow must be fed heavily
and sanely.
In order to consume large qua nti-
ties of feed a COW must be provided
with a feed that is relished by her. A
cow that eats but little is like fac
tory with low output. In order to
be entirely satisfactory to a dairy
man, feed must be cheap. While it is
true that dairying is generally consid-
cred to be the most profitable of all
types of farming there never has
been a COW whose margin of profit
was so great that the producer could
pay excessive prices for feed. Pro
fits largely depend on the quality and
cost of the ingredients that go to
make up the dairy ration.
Alfalfa comes nearer meeting the
roughage requirements for dairy
cow than any other known feed. With
this thought in mind, one enthusiast
tic farmer said "It seems to me that
alfalfa was invented especially for
dairymen.
Of all roughages alfalfa is 'the
easiest to turn into milk" Through
out the Mississippi Valley it is diff
cult to obtain a balanced ration.
Feeds that, are high in carbohydrates
are more abundant than those high ir
protein, This means that if dairy cat
tie were fed plentifully enough there
would be a tendency for them to get
fat rather than to give milk. A fat
animal is desired if it is to be slaught-
cred, but where profit must come
through the milk pail, extra fat on
the cows is a waste of feed.
Alfalfa gathers nitrogen from the
air, and because of this fact the al
falfa plant is able to store a large
quantity of this element and it's this
important element that is transform
ed into protein. Corn favors the for
nation of fat, whereas alfalfa pro-
notes production of milk and flesh.
Where alfalfa and other legume
plants are not available it becomes
necessary for the dairy farmer to Sc
cure the protein part of the ration
from expensive concentrates. This
greatly increases cost of production
and reduces profits.
Dry, bright, fragrant alfalfa hay
makes milk cows happy. The eag-
erness with which it is devoured is
ample evidence of its palatability.
Fortunately, alfalfa is not only pal
atable and of the desired compos-
ition for milk production, but it is
also highly digestible. This, after