Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-11-14
EnsiIage vs.. Cured Corn Fodder

animal Ces.-Farmers' Gazette,
Ireland
Ensilage VS.. Cured Corn Fodder.
We use 10 think when we grew com
to cure for fodder to use in the winter,
that the best time TO cut it was, when
it was well tassIed out. We knew
little about the analysis, but found
that fodder cut then without ears or
it was better than the fodder from
which we had gathered the ears. We
thought it should be SO, even as we
had better hay if we cut the grass
when in blossom than we did If We
allowed it to stand until the seed had
formed and began 10 harden. We are
of the same opinion now as We were
then, but it does not follow that it is
better to cut so early if it is to be put
in the SilO. The water that we dried
out Of it in curing, is too much to pUt
in the silo, where it does not dry out.
Chemists tell us that when in the
tasseling stage is has 81 per cent.
water. in the silking stage IS per
cent, milk stage 50 per cent. glaZino
stage II per cent, and when ripe Y
per cent, and those who have tested
it. claim that it makes the best en-
silage if cut when glazed, but not
quite ripe. If cut earlier it makes
too sour an ensilage. This explains to
us another tnlng which We proved by
experience. but could not account for.
When we were feeding green fodder
corn to mich COWS we found that we
had much more milk from it, if we
uut it 50 that it could lie and wilt from
twenty-fOur to thiTty-siX hours before
we fed it out. We had dried out some
Of that superfiuOus water and increas-
ed the amount of starch and sugar, and
possibly of fat There was less dan
ger of sOuring or fermenting in the
stomach and possibly they ate more:
still more probable that they digested
it better. When the Wisconsin Ely
pertinent Station tested ensilage and
cured corn fodder together, they
claimed to have obtained 243 pounds
more Of milk or twelve pounds more
of butter from an acre OF corn put In
the silo than from an acre cured and
| fed dry. It would not pay to build u
very expensive silo to get the amount
! saved upon one or two acres.
! The New Jersey Station found In
| 1897 that with milk at one cent 3
pound they had $40 an acre more from,
! the ensilage than from the cured fOd
| der, but the cost of harvesting, storing
and preparing for food was greater
! for the amount of dry matter in the
| ensiIage than in the fodder, which
partly balances the gain in milk
| They also found that of the solid OF
! dry matter in the ensilage, thirty-ont
pounds was not digested, and in the
corn fodder thirty-eight pounds. Al
! these facts are in favor of the Ell
! silage. both lots being cut at tn
same stage Of growth, but we are not
sure that they would prove So If the
cured fodder had been cut when in full
bloom, or at the tasseling or silkin:
! stage, for perhaps we cannot call :
full bloom until the silk or female
blossom has become fully developed
which is analogous to cutting Glove
when the heads first begin to turn
| brown.
We have no desire to discourage
the use Of ensilage or the building o
silos, as we were among the first u
! recognize the value Of the new methot
and advocate it in the columns of al
agricultural paper, but we are speak
Ing a word of encouragement to thos
who think they cannot afford TO built
silo for the number Of cows the.
keep. II they will grow the corn fod
der and cure it properly, the result
they obtain will be within so as mucl
per acre as If they put it in the sill
at greater cost for labor. accordin
to the New Jersey experiment. and
we take the Wisconsin experiment
the acre IN the silo is worth only So 4
more than it would be If well cured.
There may not be as much waste il
the ensilage, but the man who has bu
few COWS and little money. should 1
the best he can, even If his profit
= not as large as that of the man wit,
many cattle and money in plen:y
Massachusetts Ploughman.
Value of Fast-WaIkino Horses
There can be no question of tn