Oxford Democrat., 1909-10-05
Possibilities of the Silo.


thing to say in relation to silos and sill
age, and have for a long time felt thai
the proper handling of farms where
much livestock is carried is by taking
full advantage of the corn plant and the
silo. Accidentally have this season
had my attention turned forcibly to the
great possibilities that lie in the silO.
On June we planted an experimental
plot consisting of ten rows, each eight
rods long, to North King flint corn. The
rows were checked three feet each way
and only four carefully selected kernels
were planted in each hill. A heavy coat
of barn manure was ploughed under the
greensward, the land, a clay loan, hav
ing been pastured for several years. A
good seed bed was made with disk and
smoothing harrow. The rows were
marked and fertilizer was strewn in
drills with planter. The checks were
then marked by hand and good appli
cation of fertilizer was spread by hand.
This total application was about at the
rate of one-half ton an acre. The land
was kept free from weeds with hand hoe
entirely, and the corn grew from the
start, notwithstanding the cold, dry sea.
son. On August 80 the disastrous frost
which damaged Maine crops SO much
touched the leaves slightly. On Sep.
tember 5, or in just three months from
planting, an average hill was cut and
weighed.
The weight was IT'S pounds. The
ears had not matured as much as would
be desired for good silage, and but for
the slight frostipg the corn would have
still gained in weight. The seed was
ripened in Maine last season.
Now comes the sequel. Figuring the
amount for one acre, we have AZ tons
and 976 pounds. For the sake of ease in
figuring we will drop the odd pounds
and consider the tons only. II expert
ence covering many years is worth any
thing, if the almost universal opinion OF
siage feeders is reliable, if experiment
stations are correct in their analyses
and their digestion experiments, then
have there the feeding value practically
of thirteen tons of mixed hay. Reckon
ing the analysis value alone, and the
proportion of to is exact in its diges-
tible protein; in carbohydrates the pro-
portion is to SO, while in either ex-
tract the proportion is l to 1.6. The
nutritive ratio of the silage is to 1919;
that of mixed hay, to 1875. We all ad-
init the loss of food nutrients in the
silo, but in this case that loss would be
fully evened up by the gain through
palatability, succulence and ease of
feeding; so we think the proportion will
hold.
Now, if this amount of food nutrients
can be produced on an acre with Maine
grown seed this season and in so short a
time, it is only fair to assume that the
same or even greater amounts can be
reached over large areas in good or even
average seasons.
Now, as three tons of mixed hay is
ample for a milch COW for one year,
with summer pasture, and two tons will
keep a full grown steer through an
Eastern winter, we have here on the one
acre roughage enough for four cows or
six steers, dropping fractions.
AS corn from the fields or from the
silo should not form more than two
thirds the roughage fed, and as the
physiological effect of silage is to aid in
the digestion of other and less palatable
foods, we have here factor that, while
we cannot reckon it in actual figures,
stands forth very apparent in the results.
1t may be said by some that this yield
was accidental and could not be dupli-
Gated on large areas. To such would
say there is no accident or uncertainty
about it. Given the land fairly adapted
to corn, sufficient fertilizer and good
selected seed, of this or any other varie-
ty of Maine corn of equal size and vigor
OF growth, and 1 will insure the yield
every year that any corn ripens.-B.
Walker McKeen in Tribune Farmer.