Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-05-31
Value of the SHo.

An acre of land that will yield Ia
tons of timothy hay can be relied upon
to produce Is tons of ensilage corn.
The chemical analysis of the two
crops, according to the Wisconsin ex-
pertinent station, shows the following
relative feeding value: Fifteen tons
of ensilage gives three times as
much dry matter, AGA times as much
protein, nine times as much carbohy-
drates and five times as much ether
extract as the n tons of timothy hay.
While it is not claimed that ensilage
alone is a balanced ration" 1t is the
best basis for cheap ration, and
makes it possible for the user to do
one of two things: He can either in
crease his stock double it, or keep
his original stock and sell hay without
injury to the land Those who have
never given the matter special atten.
tion do not perhaps realize that there
is a loss of over one-quarter in feed
ing value if the corn is allowed to
cure in the field In field curing the
moisture dries out and the COW must
drink water to replace it. Water and
dry fodder will not produce as good re-
suits as the green fodder itself or sill
age.
1t costs less to harvest an acre OF
corn, cut it into your silo and feed it
to your stock than to field cure it,
grind the corn and feed the stalks and
grain-and then silage will produce
20 per cent more milk. Silage in a
ration makes everything palatable.
1t gives variety. 1t is to the COW in
| the winter time what preserved fruit
is to her owner. When ensilage is
stored away in the silo 1t is safe.
There is no further anxiety (if the
silo is good no danger of spelling by
overheating or freezing, no danger OF
loss from rats, etc, and you can store
10 tons of silage in the same space
required for one ton of hay or corn
stalks. There are also no insurance
premiums to pay.
Ensilage can be harvested when the
dew is on or when it rains, and the
crop is off the land and out of the way
so that early blowing can be done,
says the New Jersey Farmer. If your
silo is right you have a uniform, even
feed for your stock all winter; a warm,
sweet, appetizing food which keeps
the stock in perfect health, makes
their eyes bright and their hair
smooth and glossy. If you possess a
good silo you are not confined to corn
as a silage crop but you can store clio
vcr oats, peas and other green crops
and get fine winter feed. You also
put yourself in position where you
are practically independent of the
| hay crop and its uncertainties.
With a good silo you can produce
| milk as cheaply in winter as in sum-
mer. In fact, many large producers
| depend upon silage for their succulent
| food the year round, as they simply
cannot afford to pasture high priced
| land. Last winter the large butter
| markets all reported great shortage
of fresh butter, amounting to fully
| % per cent of the requirements. Don't
| you suppose that there are enough
cows in the country to make up this
shortage if every COW were producing
up to her profitable limit? The price
| Of butter has been very high, and the
dairyman with good silo filled with
good silage is reaping a harvest.
Where winter dairying is practiced
| the work comes in the winter, when
| other farm work is light. 1t enables
I the farmer to pay his help good wages
the year round. He can employ and
retain better help because he furnishes
| employment the year around. Some
| people will say that if every dairymau
| practiced winter dairying, prices
would be as low in the winter as they
are now in June. We viii grant this
, for the sake of argument but there is
no reason to believe that there is any
immediate danger of this taking place
Until it does occur, the ones who
have winter diaries will continue TO
| reap harvest Make up your mind
| about having a silo as early as you
! can. 1t is to your advantage to do so.
| And let us caution YOU against buying
a silo on the basis of cheapness alone.
| Many attempts have been made by
farmers to build their own silos, but
the results have not been satisfactory.
A readymade silo, built by a respon-
sible concern. is really much cheaper
in the end. In buying silo you are
not making an experiment. You are
certain of having a silo satisfactory in
every way because your silo is ex-
actly like hundreds of others already
built, giving good satisfaction.