Hutchinson gazette., 1900-03-15
The sllo and snaE..

II. II. Cook OF Denmark, N. Y, III
one Of the largest and best dairymenl
In the state They have about ninety
fino Holsteln cows. Mr.. Cook is pro-
gresslve man, but one who Ia careful
to know that he is right before doing
anything. He is an Institute conduc-
tor and hrst-class authority In his
line. think many will be Interested
In what heard him say, writes con-
tributor to Practical Farmer. First.
he likes the stave sllo, but he does not
recommend building one out of 2xls
without matching and bevellng. He
says that In time, when such a sllO
dries out, some OF the slaves will get
out OF place, Then when II ls filed
and swells up again II will not be tight
and all right. Better use 2x0 lumber
he says, and have 1t beveled and
tongued and grooved. Then II will
always stay In place. Again, he thinks
there has been too much fear OF in
Jury to the silago by freezing, When
some freezes next to the outside 1t
Will not be materially injured, pro-
ylded II thaws out before being exposed
to the air. or course he would not
feed the cows frozen sllage, He does
not believe an outside covering and
air space Is nearly 80 important as We
used to think. He said he would not
like to go on record as saying there
was no injury to sllage from freezing.
but that practically 1t was not enough
to worry about, A stave sllo can b0
built quite cheaply II II does not have
to be covered on the outside. So this
Is an important question for northern
farmers. Mr., Cook has faith enough
In his Ideas, 80 he intends to build
two large stave sllos next summer in
connection with new barn. About
half Of each one Is to bo outside, en-
posed directly to the weather. The.
slaves will be two inches thick. A.
cement floor will be put In this new
barn also, Mr. Cook lives In a pretty
cold country, east of Lake Ontario. I
AT the grent Cortland meeting, Prof,
Voorhees, said that by giving theiR
cows succulence In the form OF corn
silage, and other food to make q fairly,
balanced ration, they got "a per cent,
more milk than from cows fed on dry
ration, such as many farmers still
used, He said they could get $40 to-
sl5 more from an acre Of corn put In
the sllo, when making milk, than they,
could get from the same acre OF corn
cured and fed as we'll as 1t could bO
done practically, Prof Voorhees, is
practical dalryman, as we'll as one OK
our most trustworthy scientists, ana
we can depend on what he says In the
Eastern States, at least, the day OF
husklng corn and feeding the dry corn
stalks ought to be over Silos can be
build cheaply, and the whole crop put
In at once where 1t will keep with III
tic loss. When the stalks are cured
the loss Is much more often three or
four times as much. II Is we'll known
now how to put the corn in sllo so 10
will make good sllage, BY the way,
the question has been asked several
times at Institutes, whether the grain
of the corn was as good when put In
the silo as when dried, Many seem to
think II Is not Well, It Is, or II 1t
falls short any, the rest Is In the
stalks. Perhaps the corn In drying
would take a little moro from the
stalk, but you get II all In the silage
anyway. TO make good sIlage, get a
variety Of corn that will mature. IL
rather green when you cut 1t, let 1t
dry little. II 1t Is too dry, wet 1t q
little. Build your sllo air tight.