The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-27
ADVANTAGE OF eNslLAeE.
Next to Good Pasturase Cows Thrive
Best on il.


The digestive organs of animals
that chew the cud are so formed rs
to require comparatively juicy and
bulky food. The COW cannot, there
fore, thrive on exclusively dry food
as well as can the horse. The near
est an ideal food that can be obtain
cd for the dairy COW is good pasture;
but for more than six months in the
year green pasturage is not available
in most sections. The best substitutes
to use during this period are corn
silage and such roots as mangels ana
turnips, says the Rural World. Corn
yields an average of twice as much
dry matter an acre as do root crops,
and since the latter require much
more labor, which in this country is
relatively expensive, silage is far
more economical.
Making corn into silage is a means
of preserving the grain as well as the
stalk in the best possible condition
for feeding, and without the expense
OF shelling and grinding. In feeding
whole corn, either in the ear or shell
| ed, many of the kernels are not di-
gested. With silage, the grain being
eaten with the roughage, nearly all
| the kernels are broken during masti-
cation, and, since they are somewhat
soft are practically all digested. BY
the use of the silo the corn is remov-
ed from the field at a time when no
injury is done the land by cutting it
up while soft. As the corn is cut be-
fore the blades are dry enough to
shatter, there is no waste from wealth
ering, and both stalk and grain being
in good condition, the whole crop is
consumed by the stock; while with
dry shock corn a large percentage of
the leaves and butts of the stalk is
wasted.
1t has been determined that one
cubic foot Of hay in the NOW con
tains about AS pounds of dry mat
ter, and that a cubic foot of space N
| a silo of six foot silo contains about
80 pounds of dry matter From this
it is evident that a cubic foot of space
| in silO Of proper depth will hold
more than twice as much dry matte"
as the corresponding space in a NOV.
1t is also true that on the average a
! larger amount of digestibe feed can
! be- obtained from an acre in the form
of silage than in any other way at
like expense. Making corn into ST.
lage Is then both an economical and
compact method of storing feed
Much damage has been done to the
cause of silage by the extravagant
claims of its over-enthusiasuc
friends, Although corn silage is not
a complete and balanced ration in
Itself it is so well relished that large
quantities are consumed. Being a
succuent feed, it tends to heavy milk,
production, and should be given an
important place in the ration of dairy
COWS. 1t has proved an important
factor in steer feeding as well as In
milk production, but a steer cannot
be finished on silage alone, any mora
than COW can produce her best yield
OF milk on such a ration, To obtain
the most economical returns. SOM
dry roughage should be fed in con
nection with silage, and a legume of
hay, as alfalfa, clover or cowpeas, Is
the best feed for this purpose, par
ticularly for young stock and COWS.
Economical milk can be produced
from these feeds without the addition
of grain, If the COWS are not giving
more than two gallons of milk day,
providing the corn was we'll cared
and both the silage and the legume
hay are of excellent quality. Cows
giving larger yield must have grain
added to their ration.