Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-05-02
VALUE OF ENSILAGE.
Opinion of the Director Of the Lafayette
Ind.) Experiment. Station.

Opinion of the Director OF the Lafayette
| (Ind.) Experiment Station.
It is now about nine years since the
use of ensilage became general in this
country, and during this time con-
siderable change has taken place, both
as to practice concerning its utilization,
| and the opinion entertained by ma
| iority of farmers concerning the value
Of ensilage as cattle food.
| In the Eastern States the question
seems to have already reached hard
| pan. Its advantages and disadvan-
tages appear to be well understood by
| most farmers. and its true place in the
ordinary routine of farm processes
| seems to be well understood and prac
| tically utilized. In the more Western
part OF the country, however, the sub
| ject is still being discussed under the
| same conditions. and the same claims
| seem to be made for it that prevailed
in New England some six years ago.
The difficulty there then was, as it now
seems to be here, that claims are made
for ensilage that can not be substan-
tiated by fact. consequently many
farmers have entertained expectations
of results from it's use never fulfilled.
and consequently disappointment has
often followed, and unreasoning OPP
position to ensilage on principle has
too frequently been the result.
To illustrate: Many advocates of the
silo in the East were so rash as to
claim that a given quantity of corn
fodder taken from the silo contained
more actual nutriment than did the
same material when introduced into
the silo; in other words, that the silO
served the purpose of increasing the
actual nutritive value of all material
passing through it-claims utterly I'M
founded on fact, and absolutely beyond
possibility of substantiation. Thus
some claimants admit that heat is al
ways evolved in the silo. but fail to
recognize the fact that this heat must
inevitably be maintained at the expense
of the material thus undergoing COM
bustion, and that some loss must,
therefore, be unavoidable. Theoret-
ically this loss, resulting from the par
tial decomposition Of the material
within the silo, is approximately seven
teen per cent. of the material intro
duced. The actual loss in nutriment,
as indicated by feeding experiments of
my own, seems to be approximately
nineteen per cent. as applied both to
the yield of dairy products and to sus-
tanning the animal system in bulk.
These figures can only be accepted
as approximate, since as yet sufficient
data for the absolute determination
are not at hand. That loss more or
less important results through the
transformations occurring within the
silo, must be accepted as absolute fact.
The question therefore resolves itself
simply into this: Are the advantages
positively derived from the use of the
silo sufficient to compensate for this
material loss in nutritive value occa-
stoned by the partial decomposition or
combustion Of the green fodder in it's
transformation into ensilage? Both
theory and practice seem to answer the
question in the affirmative. The ra-
tional position to be occupied by the
ensilage as a food material, therefore
seems to be, not the production of
more or of better nutriment, nor as
substitute for other foods Or processes
of fodder curing. 1t is not to revolu-
tionize previous farm methods, but
to form a valuable adjunct to such
processes, both through supplying a
new kind of food, not more valuable
than other foods but an addition to the
variety heretofore available, especial
", perhaps, as substitute for roots
and the supplier Of green food where
by a more natural condition of the ami
NAL is possible during its unnatural
confinement, and usual exclusive re-
source to dry folders. And moreover
it is an economical method for curing
or securing fodder which might other
wise be subjected to material loss or
absolute destruction through unfavor-
able climatic conditions. These prin-
ciples seem to be recognized as the
factors and established facts
of the ensilage question, by the ma
jority of those whose experience en-
titles them to confidence; and in their
recognition seems to be the most RAJ
tional hope of success through the
of this peculiar, and when
utilized, valuable process
of procuring and using cattle food
II. Z. Stockbridge, in Orange Judd |
Farmer.