The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-10-13
|! ABOUT THE
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! [ A X WI
FILLING THE SILO.

good many farmers in Oklahoma
arc being confronted this year for the
first time with the problem Of filline
a silo, and there are a number OF
questions which a good many OF them
would no doubt like to have answered
Among these questions are the fol
lowing:
What crops are best suited to eur.
ing in the silo? At what stage should
such crops be cut? What equipment
is necessary for filling the sIo? What
precautions should be taken whom
filling the silo?
Heavy, solid stemmcd plants like
corn, kafir, milo, and sorghum are
much more satisfactory than alfalfa.
cowpcas and other leafy plants for
making silagc, Corn, kafir, and sim.
liar plants when cut up, pack much
better in the sllo than will alfalfa or
cowpeas, and for this reason cure with
less loss. In a good silo there should
not he TO exceed a ten per cent waste
when corn or kaflr are properly
stored at the right stage Of maturity.
but the waste in the case Of alfalfa
and cowpcas will ordinarily run from
eighteen to twenty per cent 1t IS
seldom practical to put alfalfa In a
sllo. When coWpeas arc used It rs
well to mix them with about twice
the b1iR Of Germ. kafr or sorghum
Most siio users have decided that
corn should be dented before It is cut
for silagc, Corn at this stage posses
ses the greatest amount Of nutrimcnts
When the corn is run through the en-
silage cutter the cut corn should be
quite moist IF it Is not, enough
wator should be added to mako II
moist Kaifr and sorghum should
have seeds well past the milk stage
before they are cut for silage.
A power enslago cutter Is neccs
sary for filling the silo. There arc
many makes on the market These
are manufactured in various sizes
from those that may be driven with
q four to siXhorse power gasoline en-
gine and with a capacity Of four or
five tons OF corn per hour to the
largest size, which require twelve to
fourteen horsepower steam engine to
ten tons per hour Only an ensllage
cutter with a blowers attachment
should be purchased. The smaller
size ensiiage cutter will serve very
well except in cases where number
Of silos have to be filled. II Is
economy where possible for half
dozen or more silo owners 10 pur-
chase a large machine and work to-
gether in the filling Of the silos, as
with a large ensilage cutter and full
force OF men and teams, as much as
one hundred tons Of silage can be put
into the silo in a day A force OF six
or seven teams and fourteen or fifteen
men will be required to keep such
running at its fun capacity
without taking into account the force
necessary 10 cut the corn in the field.
For such rapid filling two or three
corn binders will be necessary. Is|
binders are used to cut the corn It
S often practical 10 start cutting the
,orn in the field one or two days he
'ore filling the silo. This Is very
good practice except in periods OF
ain. when sand and dirt may get
washed into the corn. 1t win be
ound best 70 cut the corn into 3-8 or
lalfinch lengths and to keep the
;niyes sharp, as otherwise there viii /
le a lot of uncut leaves and pieces {
If stalks In the silage which Will /
,revent thorough packing The cut |
.orn. kafir, or sorghum must be |
mixed in the silo. Sew
,ral OF the manufacturers Of ensilage