The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-07-01
ADVANTAGES OF sILAGE.


Of the various feeds which are the
most palatable, corn silage is without
doubt the cheapest and most effective
to add TO the ration. 1t is a valuable
feed for dairy and beef cattle and also
for horses, calves and sheep. Many of
the leading Wisconsin farmers find
that silage can be handled as cheap,
of not cheaper, than the corn crop can
be handled in the usual manner. Sill
age furnishes a succulent feed with
very little waste, and is always ready
to use.
In combination with alfalfa or
clover with a mixture of corn or
barley for grain, silage furnishes an
especially good ration, all grown on
the farm and cheaper than mill feeds.
The Importance of palatability cannot
be over estimated, as it increases the
amount of feed eaten and when prop
erly assimilated, the more the animal
eats the larger product it will return
SIage Saves Space.
A ton of mixed hay occupies 400
cubic feet of space and eight tons
of corn silage can be put in the same
amount of room.
The ton of mixed hay contains
about $50 pounds of digestible dry
matter, while eight tons of silage con-
tains 1850 pounds of dry matter. This
one point of economical storage of the
corn crop, when put up in the form of
silage, is worthy of attention where
a large number of animals are fed.
The cost of handling the corn crop
in the form Of silage is less than when
any other method is used One of the
leading Wisconsin farmers reports
that it cost him SO to so cents per ton,
or 81 per acre, to put his corn crop
into the silo. The same area of
corn would yield about $50 baskets,
which would cost him SIS for husking,
while the cost of cutting, stacking,
shredding, and grinding would be
about double what it cost to put the
same crop into the silo.
Useful in Dry Summers.
The advantages Of summer feeding
of silage, particularly during periods
of drought, is fully appreciated by
those who have tried it. During the
latter part of the summer, Wisconsin
suffered a severe drought, and corn
silage was fed to the University dairy
herd The flow of milk was never
kept up so we'll during the summer
as it was by the use of this silage. The
summer silo is sure to become a more
important factor in successful dairy
ing
The use of silage for fattening beef
cattle has been tested at a number
of experiment stations and by stock
men, with excellent results. In ex-
periments conducted by the writer in
1904, it was found that silage fed
steers sold at S495 per 100 pounds,
while those fed no silage brought
only $40 per 100 pounds, a gain of
of 25 cents in favor of the silage fed
animals. 1t was found that for every
100 pounds of grain, All pounds of
silage fed saved IS pounds of grain
and 1856 pounds of alfalfa
In these tests silage was fed in con-
nection with alfalfa hay, corn chop,
kaffir corn chop, and cotton seed meal.
The average soil, in usual seasons,
will produce IL to Is tons of green
corn per acre. Even with yield of
ten tons per acre, there is an income,
according to this experiment, of about
$33 per acre.
The financial statement of this ex-
pertinent showed that the silage-fed
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