St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-07
THE SILO.
The Experience of Professor w. a.
Henry.


Prof. W. A. Henry says he is so well
satisfied with his experience in feeding
silage that he is using it at the WiscOn-
sin station for sheep and dairy cows.
He refers To- J.sW. Hays, of AIderly,
Wis, who has been using it for steer
feeding, and says time confirms his con-
fidence in it, and he would not think of
fattening steers without it. Last year
Mr. Hays fattened carload of steers.
consisting of six yearlings and fourteen
twO-year-oids. The Silage used was from
C. ri which natures in that latitude
grown for the grain. In addition 10
the grain contained in the silage the
steers received five pounds of corn
meal, two and half pounds of oil
meal, and two and half pounds bran
daily. In thu beginning of the fattening
period silage was almost the only feed
given, the extra grain being small i'll
amount at the start and gradually in
creased to the figures here given. In
four and half months the steers made
an average gam of 325 pounds. tue sell
ing weight being 1860 and the price
very satisfactory. Prof. Henry says
that unless he gets evidence to the con-
trary, he shall hold TO the belief that
the SlO Will experience at least one
more boom, and that is when the steer
feeder and sheep feeder on compare
lively high-priced land in the corn dis
trlcts take hold of this form of food
preservation, seeing in ii means of
bringing their animals to a higher per
lection OF finish than is possible on dry
steer feeds.
The great difficulty of getting corn
stalks well cured and dry enough to
keep in the NOW is one of the strongest
facts against this mode of preservation
and in favor of the practice OF ensilag-
Ing them. IL the moisture is not well
expelled they mould, especially The butt
portion, aud this extends the injury
more or less to the other part; and il
too dry, they appear to fail to pack sufii-
GENTLY solid to exclude the air, and
hence the heat and tirefang, for this
reason mourning considerable danger OF
spontaneous combustion. A CORE
spondence in the Breeders Gazette, Oy
Prof. Henry. details the experience
OF a Western farmer with very dry
cornstalks. On account of the very
dry season he got short of hay and 50
turned in and cut up considerable corn
for fodder last fall. The last week in
October he started to husk, but found
it too dry. as it would crumble aud
waste the leaves. and as he had consld-
cradle room to spare in the barn, he
bound the corn fodder without husking
and hauled it into the barn. He soon
found it began to heat. but as it was 50
very dry he thought it could not spoil,
so he kept OH. Some he husked and
some he did not. He put in corn from
twelve acres; it heated so that at one
time he thought the barn would take
fire., This winter he ran the stalks
through a teed-cutter and fed them
twice day, feeding oat straw at noon.
Cattle ate them all right, and seemed
to do well OH them. On the outside,
where the air got 10 them, there was
little mould. On the other side,
where they were stacked against the
hay, they were all right, but in the cen
ter were considerably burnt. Both the
professor and the Gazette testify to this
condition of the silage. samples of which
were forwarded, and the professog esti-
mates tie loss OF nutriment at 80 to go
per cent, although the cattle ate ii with
apparent relish. Prof. Henry says that
i'll case like this he should fear sp0n-
taneous combustion, 'for the heat must
have been very great" But cattle are
quite fond of this sort of food, seeming
10 relish 1t when even more clarred
than this, However, even If there is no
danger in storing fodder in this way.
the loss in feeding value is too great tn
make the system advisable. With tight
silo walls and more moisture in tile
stalks they will pack closer and heat far
less.