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Show DAIRYMAN MUST BE GOOD FARMER! Successful dairymen need to lie Just as good farmers as they are dairymen. It Is minted out by V. J. Friiser, dairy fariiilnt; authority of the college I of agriculture. University of Illinois. This Is true because to make a profit , under modern conditions dairymen I must make their farms supply the feeds for their dairy herds, he explained. ex-plained. It does them no good to know how to feed prolitnhly If they do not have the feed, he udded. "The dairyman's rotation plnn must dovetail Into his dairy plans before he can get the greatest possible return from Ms furtn. The rotation for a dairy farm must be planned from three .standpoints: (1) Feed, The dairy farm rotation must supply proper quality and quantity of feed the year around at the least expense to the dairy herd. (2) Land. The rotation .roust ue land to the fullest advantage ; through the use of the most profitable j crops, the growing of enough legumes ' to maintain and increase soil humus ; and nitrogen In order to maintain soil 1 Jertlllty and through diversifying crop I returns so as to minimize failure of any one crop. (3) Labor. The rotation must provide for nbor distribution to prevent burdensome peak loads and to utilize labor available throughout the year. This Is especially Important to the dairy farmer because he has so much work with his dairy herd. Demands for the dairy herd for legume feeds, demands of soil for nitrogen nitro-gen supply, and the need for the most profitable use of land and labor dove-tall dove-tall together so that legumes are the basis of a good dairy rotation. , On most soils limestone is an absolute abso-lute necessity before legumes can be grown, yet is a minor item of cost compared to returns. Dairymen often buy alfalfa at $25 a ton while $4 to $S an acre In limestone would allow them to produce it at about $10. Freight baling and handling make purchased feed expensive. The rotation Is a definite business plan, providing as sure a return as possible year after year, and thereby reducing the gambling element In farming. It must be planned for a definite number of animals so that enough feed will be on hand every day In the year to keep every cow fed to the limit of her productive capacity, fields must be of the same size so that about the same amount of feed la produced each year. Good legume hay, alfalfa preferred, and corn silage, are the foundation upon which the winter feed supply is based. One and one-half tons of alfalfa hay and four tons silage should be allowed per cow per yea for the larger breeds. Pasture must be provided each year. On tillable land three-fourths of an acre of sweet clover a cow is a good standard. Where untillable blue grass Is available then the rotation must be planned In reference to It. Often It can be limed and sown to sweet clover. No one rotation fit every farm, but some one rotation can be worked out for each and every farm. |