The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-05
ADVANTAGES OF SILAGE
Experiments Have Demonstrated That
iii Ordinary Seasons a Field Of Corn
Converted into SiIaSe Will Yield
SSS TDap Acre

Converted Into siIa2e Will Yield
$33 Per Acre.
BY Professor ID. II. Otis. University Of
Wisconsin.
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 ana also
for horses. calves and sheep. Many of
the leading Wisconsin farmers find
that silage can be handled as cheap,
if not cheaper, than the corn crop can
be handled IN the usual me
Silagt furnishes a ~succulent feed with
very little waste, and is always ready
to use.
In combination with alfalfa or cIo-
yer, with a mixture of corn or barley
for grain, Silage furnishes an eSpe-
Cially good ration. all crown, on the
farm and cheaper thar mill feeds. The
Importance Of p~alatability cannot be-
OVereStimated, as it increases the
amount of feed eaten and, when prop
erly assimilated. the more the animal
eats the larger product it Will re
turn.
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 di-
SeStlble dry matter. While eight tons
Of silage contain 1850 pounds of dry
matter. This one point Of the econom-
zeal 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 60 cents per tin. or
81 per acre, to put his corn GRO into
the SllO. The same area of corn would
yield about $50 baskets. which would
cost him So for husking. While the cost
of cutting. stacking, ~Shredding and
grinding would be about double what
it costs to put the same cfop into the
silo.
The advantages Of feeding siIage
during periods OF drought is fully APP
preciated by those who have tried it.
During the latter part of last summer,
Wisconsin suffered Il severe drought,
and corn silage was fed to the univer-
sity dairy herd. The flow of milk was
never kept up so We'll during the sun-
mer as it was by the use Of this Stage.
The summer silo is sure to become a
more important factor in successful
dairying.
The use of silage for f~attening beef
cattle has been tested at a number Of
experiment stations and by ~stocknen
with excellent results. In experiments
conducted by the writer it was found
that silage fed steers sold at s4.95
per 100 pounds. while those fed no
silage brought only $40 per 100
younds, a gain Of % cents in favor the
silage-fed animals. 1t was found that
for very 100 pounds ofe gain. IL
pounds of silage fed saved IS pounds
Of grain and 156 pounds of alfalfa.
In these tests silage was fed in cor
nection with alfalfa hay. corn chop,
kafir corn chop and cotton seed meat.
The average soil. in unusual seasons.
will produce twelve to fifteen tons OF
green corn per acre. Even with a Weld
Of ten tons per acre there is al in
come, according to this experiment, OF
about 1913 per acre.
The financial statement Of this ey-
pertinent showed that the siiage-fed
steers made profit OF 81 10 per head,
While the same grade Of steers fed on
the same feed except silage lost 81 IL
per 81
\ farmer IN FernliliQn county. Hi
nois. last GEAR discovefzd a freak ear
of corn which was composed Of Il ore
Of husk. the grains being neatly
wrapped on the soft foundation like
peas in a pod. He planted tn. corn.
and the ears raised from II Were al
most an exact reproduction 81 the
cobless ear. The experiments VII 10
continued