Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-07-10
JORDAN ON SlLO FEEDING.

was notified by a silo advocate
some time ago of the coming of Pro-
fessor Henry's letter that has just
been published.
The Professor says that the use of
silsge is increasing in this country.
The use of oleomargarine is incress-
ing in this country also. but the fact
that people are deceived by these ar
ticles is no reason why they should
supplant the articles of food they are
recommended to substitute.
Professor Henry's letter sustains
the point made at our Farmers In
stitute, that the milk coudensing
companies of the country had gener-
ally refused to take silsge milk. The
Michigan factories he refers to are
the exceptions ond not the rule. Pro-
fessor Henry's book on "Feed and
Feeding" gave the same account of
the Michigan factories that his re-
cent letter spoke of. These two fac
tories were hard pressed for milk,
they could not run on full time, their
business was blocked on account of
the limited supply of milk, and is it
any wonder that they would take any
kind of milk in order that their en-
terprise should not close? What
would our local creameries do in the
garlic season if they refused all the
garlicy milk? They can't afford to
refuse it but take it and do the best
they can to eradicate the garlic in it.
The Michigan factories are not get
ting so much sillsge milk after all,
thirty per cent. being the estimate.
That 80 per cent. would have to be
very bad indeed to spoil 20 per cent.
of good odorless milk.
There is no doubt that silage will
give milk flavor foreign from the
grass flavor so much liked by the
consumers have no reference to
that garlicy flavor sometimes called
clover. Any one familiar with silage
milk can detect the odor of it at once.
Most all reports on silage milk
agree that it is poorer than milk pro.
duced by dry fodder, that is, it has
less butter In it.
The analysis of silage shows it tC
be lowor in nutriment with the grain
it it than dry fodder is without the
grain and all recommend the feeding
of silage in small quantities. IF il
was such good feed why feed SO spar
ingly?
The fact that 80 per cent. of the
silos butt in Frederick, Clarke, LOU
doun, Fauquier and adjoining counties
ten years ago are abandoned, is con-
elusive evidence that they don't suit
our people.
claim the silo is q wasteful and
useless addition to the farm, that it
adds nothing to the fodder sliced,
but deteriorates its nutrative value by
fermentation, as much as 20 per cent.
of the prOtin and 30 per cent. of the
Carbohydrates being consumed by the
chemical action in the silo.
l have had several very unsatisfac-
tory discussions at our Farmers In
stitute on this subject with the silo
advocates, prior to our last meeting,
and | had hoped to draw them into
an analytical discussion of the sub
ject last March, but they knew the
danger and avoided it.
This subject is very broad one
and / treated too much of it in my
essay, which handicapped my time.
| am open to conviction, but the fact
that some farmers use silage is not
sufficient evidence for me. Iwant to
see it from practical standpoint.
base my judgment on my knowledge
of chemistry and | know one or more
acres of unfermented fodder is bet
and more nutritious than a like
amount after fermentation has taken
place.