Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-02-22
THE SILO.


more about the silo? Certainly it is
live question still, and should remain
so, until all who can-and many more
can-shall receive larger benefits by pre-
serving forage crops by this system
Twenty-Five years ago much was sur
missed regarding this subject What can
we state now as reliable facts!
There is no known method by which
so much actual food value in forage
plants, can be preserved for our farm
animals, in so small space, as by means
of the silo especially the round one.
Compared with the hay-mow. the silo
requires but one-third the space for the
same feed nutriment; and with dried
fodder corn the difference is still greater.
One factor of intensive farming is here
well illustrated.
Silage is both healthful and palat-
able food for most farm animals, and
especially so for cows. No fungi, harm
full acids, or other imagined evils have
proved disastrous in feeding silage for
the last quarter of a century. Contrari-
wise the concurrent testimony is all in
its favor. Succulent food is natures
food" Why fears from its use for the
future?
1t is found that hay suffers, from first
to last, shrinkage in food value of 10
per cent and silage about the same;
while in field cured fodder corn the loss
in dry matter in common practice, will
exceed 20 per cent
While severe frost Injuries fodder corn
badly, good silage and hence good food
can still be made from it. This fact
alays anxiety at the coming of cold
autumn nights and speaks a good word
for the sio. More than this, fodder corn
wet or dry, young or old, in all kinds
of weather, with proper management,
can still be sliced, and when placed be-
fore the cows in zero weather, they will
eat it with relish and seemingly smile
and say, thank you. Did you ever know
COW so polite as to thank you for
poorly cured hay?
To fatten stock one week, to grow
poor the next, is short-sighted economy {;
hence every stockman knows the inn
meuse advantage of having food of a
uniform quality for the entire feeding
period. Nothing so fully meets this re-
auirement as silage.
Taking the statements of many parties
who have kept an accurate record of the
expenses in producing corn silage, from
blowing background to storing the crop
safe in the silo, it is found that corn
silage will vary in cost from Sl.0O to
81 80 per ton. This is cheap food for
stock.
No one statement can give the exact
cost of sio construction. An excellent
authority says this: Broadly speaking
a silo can be built in the bay of barn
for less than 15cts per ton capacity;
round, square or rectangular wooden one
for about $3.50 and a cement or stone
silo for about $500 per ton capacity"
Compare this with the expense of barn
building for storage.
Note that this system of storing the
corn crop leaves the field clear for early
blowing and for sowing winter grain,
if desired; it facilitates farm work; it
affords a sense of relief to know that
your crop is quickly and securely housed,
subject to no.harm from rats and mice
or the elements; it enables the dairy
man to bridge over the two critical
periods of the year, fall and spring, with
succulent feed akin to grass; in short
it enables. him to keep more stock, make
more money and to feel better. Yes,
build assilo; it is good thing.
l.. w. PEET.