The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-09-14

standpoint, corn silage also ranks
among the cheapest feeds and offers,
therefore, a convenient substitute for
hay and grains, of which there will
be a great scarcity this winter. But
since the corn prospects are so ia
vorable this year in the northwest,
with a normal rainfall every effort
should be made to take the best care
of 1t. The amount of live stock which
farmers will retain depends largely
on the amount of feed at hand, and
II this advantage is taken, no heavy
sales need result For the past sew
eral years, the average cost of raising
and storing silage on Minnesota
farms was approximately 1925 per
ton, while it has produced a feed val
ued at from So to IS, based primarily
when silage was fed to dairy cattle.
Any number of farmers testify to the
value of silage for dairy cows and. q
number are here given.
"Silage is not only a splendid feed
for winter use, but If available may
be given the year round. Some dairy
men do not feed it in summer simply
because they do not have enough of
it. We feed silage to dairy cows,
horses. hogs and chickens" says E.
G. Hodrof Of Morrison county, Mimi,
land find that all animals relish 1t
very much. We feed it twice a day,
giving a large cow about thirty-ive
pounds per day. and young stock less
according to age. Indeed, the silo
stands foremost among the savers OF
feed at the farmers command. Ev-
cry stockman, If he EVER gives it a
fair trial, will never be without one
BY feeding silage during dry weather
F, when the ordinary grasses and feeds
are scarce, stock can be kept in splen-
did condition and producing we'll at q
small cost"
Silage, Plus Six Quarts Grain.
Another of the strongest advocates
of silage for dairy cows is r. A. Park.
er of Rice county, Minnesota. In ans.
wer to inquiries as to the use OF
silos. Mr.. Parker said: I'VE feed
straw to our cattle in the morning
slower in the afternoon, and silage in
the forenoon and after milking al
night. Our mich COWS get from forty
to fifty pounds per day, and in addi-
tion to this, we give six quarts OF
grain. The best mixture we have used
consists Of three parts of ground
oats, two parts of bran and one OF
corn meal. to which is added also q
small amount Of oil meal. This may
not be exactly a balanced ration, but
our cows did the business, and when
turned out on good pasture, June 1
fell off considerably in milk. This IL
concrete evidence that the feed was
supplying the natural elements which
ind to maintain a maximum flow.
II believe the silo has actually
doubled the profits of our dairying
This opinion is based on the fact by
judging the way u young stock and
dry COWS came out, with no grain al
all. in the spring, fat enough for beef
Recently a party seeing my stock
expressed it in this way. They look
as If they had been creased because
they are SO sleek and fat There il
no feed which is as welcome during
a drouth, as existed last summer, az
silage. In my judgment no man car
AFFORD to winter stock on hay valued
at $12 to $13 a ton, when an acre oil
corn silage equals in fed value -four
to six tons of hay. But the surpris.
ing fact is that there are thousands
Of farmers and stockmen in the north.
west, many owning land worth from
$50 to 500 per acre, who regardless.
ly take two acres of their high priced
land to produce the same amount O
feed that would be obtained with {
silo. disregarding also the additiona
value of having a juicy, succulen'
feed that every brand Of stock relish
es. Such farmers often bring theil
stock out in such a condition that 1
takes several months Of pasture tt