Gloucester County Democrat

FEEDING DAIRY COWS.

The important address of Friday's session was by Mr. Gould, of Ohio, on rations for dairy cows. Mr. Gould's argument was based upon the idea that economy in feeding is a matter of getting the most digestible food solids from an acre. The three principle food elements are the proteids, starches and sugars, with some fats. In this food one pound of proteid calls for four pounds of starch and sugar and a fourth pound fat. As a rule 2 pounds proteids are needed, 14 pounds of starch, and the two will usually carry fat enough. This starch is found in the greatest abundance in corn in meadow hay, etc. The proteids are found in oats, oil meal, cotton seed meal, etc. His remarks implied that no farmer could afford to grow hay for his stock, getting only 1200 pounds of starch per acre, when, in corn and corn fodder, 5000 to 8000 pounds an acre of as good food can be produced at minimum cost. Trade some of oats and corn for bran and oil meals, and, as a rule, get a ton and a half of them for each ton of the home-grown grain. The best rations for our stock are among the rank growing grain. The best rations for our stock are among the rank growing crops like corn, and modern invention has made it possible to make them as palatable and desirable to the animals as the older grown crops. Silage and the silo has made it possible to save the corn crop entire and at small expense, and is made all available.

Mr. Gould gave several modern balanced rations for dairy cows, and at the noon hour furnished the DEMOCRAT representative with the following rations, from his carefully prepared tables, the amount mentioned being for 24 hours for a cow weighing 1000 pounds.

Ensilage..... 40 lbs
Cut corn fodder..20 lbs
Oat straw...........
Corn and cob meal 3
Bran......... 8
Linseed meal,....
Clover hay......20 lbs
Bran. Pure Indian meal
Cat food Corn fodder......20 lbs
Meadow hay..... 15 lbs
Beets or turnips..10
Bran...
Crushed oats......5
Linseed meal....1

From these tables Mr. Gould quoted the proportion of digestible nutriment in the following:—

Turnips, 6 lbs. to 100 pounds gross weight. Sugar beets, 11 lbs.; sweet potatoes, 23 lbs. These roots contain a trace of nitrogen, a trace of fat, and balance starch and sugar.

Silage. 34 lbs.: timothy hay, 44 per cent.; millet hay, 51 per cent.; corn fodder, dry, 43 per cent.

In a conversation as to the uncertainty of the corn crop on account of dry weather Mr. Gould asserted that there need be no fear of the result of dry weather on corn if the seed is planted 2 inches deep and cultivated one inch deep. He also denied that corn was an exhaustive crop on the soil, but asserted that leaving the fields barren all Winter is more exhausting than the crop. He advised sowing clover seed if for no other purpose than holding nitrogen that otherwise would escape.

Several papers read by members of the County Board are in our possession, and will be printed hereafter.

The closing remarks were made by Rev. J. J. Davies.