FOOD FOR DAIRY COWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9527, 26 June 1909, Page 3

FOOD FOR DAIRY COWS.

At the Dairy Conference at Palmerston North on Thursday, Mr Gillander?, Manager of Moumahaki State Farm, read a paper on "Food for Dairy Cows." He said in selecting food for dairy cows as his subject he had tried tu keep in view the growing value of cert iin crops suitable rather than the best food for the purpose. He wished them to clearly understand that he made no pretence of addressing them as an experienced dairyman. If they were to go home and ask a dairyman in the vicinity of Glasgow what he found the best food he would reply by giving a daily ration as follows:—Roots 301bs, hay ISlbs, bean meal 31b, bran 4lbs, cotton cake 41bs. That ration would be too costly here, as the dairyman had to rely almost entirely upon what h. 3 could produce on his own farm. He would confine himself therefore to that point of view. There were two recognised methods for estimating the value of a food, th 9 one by estimating the gain in weight of the animal fed, and in the case of the cow and flow of milk, and the other estimating the value of the crow by chemical analysis. The analysis was I the easier, though it involved long and costly experiments. In his I paper, therefore, he would estimate the value of the foods referred to or the amount of dry 1 matter they contained. Generally speaking, grain or straw contined from 8 to 15 per cent, of water, while several root crops and green fodders contained as much as 90 per cent. This 1 percentage of water was of no more use to an animal than ordinary drinking water. The main elements of feeding value were albubinoids, fats, and carbohydrate. The former supplied the flesh-forming constituent, fat and oil, supply of heat and force, and the carbohydrates, including starch, sugar, green fibre, etc., also supplied heat, and assisted the mechanical work of the body. In estimating the value of foods, therefore, he would do so, on dry basis, and on their nutritive ratio, and the analysis of crops grown at Moumahaki by Mr Aston, the Government chemist. The first foods he would mention were tares and vetches which were, hardly receiving any attention in the Dominion they should. The seed could be drilled in with the ordinary grain drill at the rate of two bushels to the acre. A mixture of oats or rye could be added with advantage. . This crop cou Id be used for green forage or converted into ensilage. On fairly good soil a suitable manure would be a dressing of superphosphates,say 2cwt per acre. Maize or Indian corn was not so nutritious as several others green crops, but no other forage plant would produce so much per acre. It would also remain in a (it state for feeding green for a longer period than tares or green oats. It couid be sown with the erdinary grain a\:ci manure drill, or in rows 30 inches t 0 three feet apart. He preferred „.t in rows The tilling of the soil between the rows conserved the moisture in the soil and enabled the plant to withstand drought much longer,, and kept down weeds. Mr Gillanders gavj particulars of the kind grown at Moumahaki, frsm which it appeared i that the Yellow Dent had the best feeding value with Golden Beafi ty second, and Early Learning third.

Tf-,e mode of growing Sorghum was much t.'.e sanit; as for maize, but its yielding capacity wasjess. Neither this-or maize would withstand frost and most of it should be consumed by the first week in April. Kaffiir corns were the best drought resisting plants that could be produced, but they were not eaten so readily as Sorghum owing tt» the sweet taste of the latter, though it did not contain much dry matter. In the prepartion of the noil for these crops was a more important matter than many farmers supposed, for recent scientific investigations proved how much careful' cultivation, with the aid of artificial manures, increased the value of the crops. The manure for Sorghum or maize was phosphoric acid and potash with a little bone dust in the following proportions:— Superphosphates H cwt., steamed bone dust g cwt., and murate of potash £ cwt. The varieties of Sorghum grown at Moumahaki were Evergreen and Cosmopolitan sugar corn, The Kaffiir corns, Jerusalem corn, Sorghum Imphee, and Saccahartum.

Lucerne was a good forage in time of drought, and was good for feeding green or as ensilage. It would not stand close feeding, but would grow in slinost any dry soil. Lucerne would not witstand severe frcsts, and to cultivate it successfully the and must oe well prepared and free rom weeds. Ushoild be sown in rows for preference, and in small patches only. Some ot the sorts that showed good feeding value at Moumahaki were:—English, Hunter, River, Hungarian, an'd Turestan. When the full value of the fertilisers placed in the soil took effect, up to 50 tons per acre was obtained. The roota went down fourteen feet. This ' fodder contained on an average of 28 per cent, of dry matter. Millet gave fairly good yields, but not so good as maize or Sorghum. Level rich flats were best adapted for this plant. It could be drilled in with the ordinary seed drill and 40 to 451bs of seed to the acre. This fodder, however, would not keep green for a long time, and had to be i fed off early in the season. i

Cabbage was highly valued as a cow food in Britain, and been proved to be a useful fodder in New Zealand. It was liable,- however, to be attacked by the turnip fly and required much labour. This fodder flourished best in clay soil, and it required liberal manuring from the farm yard. The best k way to sow was by means of a drill, 30 inches apart, and from 20 inches to 2 feet in rows. A tup-dressing of superphosphates 2cwt., bone dust h cwt, sulphate ammonia £cwt. and Jcwt. of muriate of potash. One of the Lest varieties was drumheads. Eclipse drumheads at Moumahaki had been grown 34 tons to the acre, of Early Drumheads 28J tons to the acre, Giant Drumheads 23f tons to the acre. The nutriment value of this fodder was 5,200J1b to the acre. r Kale required much the same treatment as cabbage and was best grown on a heavy, rich loamy soil. At the State Farm 25| tons to the acre had been grown of the Thousand Head.and 2U tons of the Jersey kale. The percentage of dry

matter was higher than in turnips. He advocated so7/ing to 71bs of mangle seed to the acre, contending that it was better to spend extra in seeds than have weeds coming up. The best manure was from the farm yard. At Home the quantity advocated was 15 tons of dung to 5 to 10 of dry manure. At the State Farm they had grown from 25 to 50 tons per acre, oil 5 tons of artificial manure alone. Mr Gillanders also mentioned carrots as a good fodder, and then advocated the making of ensilage as a good manner of providing winter food, mentioning maize, milletfc, peas, and surplus clover grass as the best fodders for making it. With the exception of hay.ensilage had the best feeding value. in reply to questions Mr Gillanders said in this country where labour was dear he would feed mangles whole, but they should first lie in the field three to five weeks to mature. Mangles newly pulled were not fit to feed to dairy cows. He had never soaked the seed, but would give it a trial as suggested by one questioner. Mangie3 that had not deeply | rooted could be ploughed out, and \ fed after a few week 1 ?, but a better way was to take them out, cut off the tops, and then put them in a heap, covered with straw. In the growing of maize it was better to cultivate between the rows to prei vent the growth of weeds. On land fairly clear and free of weeds the seed could be sown broadcast wi th a 13 colter drill. One of the questioners said lie had grown maize 11 feet high. * Mr Gillanders said on the State Farm he had grown maize 9 feet high. His object had been to grow it with the best feeding value. He had grown mangle seed successfuly, but not turnip seed.