The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1911-11-02
VALUE Of GOOD sIlo
Corn Is Best Forage Crop Crowa
IN Ire Northwest.
Uoeds Very Heavy Supply 81 Rough
age, but Docs Not Contain Muscle
Forming Food That Alfalfa
and Glover %.

eDy ]. H. SHEPHERD, North Dakota
Agricultural College,
All through this part Of the country
grain on corn land OF last year can
be noted by the traveller through the
car windows. In most cases 1t Is a
difference between a good crop and u
poor one that II noted. When farm
land gets little old combating weeds
u q serious problem. Growing corn
In check rows has proven the best
method Of combating the average
North Dakota weeG that we have SO
far found
Corn is the safest forage crop. one
year with another, that can be grown
In the northwest 1t yields very
heavy supply of roughage, more than
twice as much as the average hay
plant 1t does not contain the muscle
forming food that clover. alfalfa and
field peas do, but 1t will give as good
results as timothy hay. Baled corn
fodder. taken from the shredder. brings
the same price on the Chicago market
as roughage for horses that good tim
othy hay does. Tits fact is a guaran,
tee Of its feeding value.
One great difficulty which has been
experienced in growing corn fodder Is
that large amount Of the digestible
matter is not eaten by tho stock on &C.
court OF the corn being 80 coarse and
woody in it, stalks The silo and the
corn shredder have largely eliminated
this difficulty a. the animals viii con
sumo the silage without waste and
eat almost all Of the shredded stalks.
Corn fodder 10 disagreeable to han
die and to feed on account Of the
rough stalks which remain after the
animals have eaten of all that they
Will and on account of its failing to
dry out thoroughly enough to make a
safe; keeping stack II left in the
shock until time to feed it, heavy
loss OF digestible material has occur
red. usually equali!ng Is per cent. OF
the original feeding value from the
blowing away of the leaves and the
teaching OF the outer portion of the
| shock. It is also hard to get these
| shocks loose from the frozen ground
Is fed from the shocks to the animals
direct in the feed lot.
When eHsilage is once In the silo
which Is job that lasts only for
about a week, there Is little more to
complain OF in Its feeding and han
ding Thrown out of the silo in large
enough quantity to take off a layer OF
from five to six inches a day. it does
not mould or spoil and it can be fed
with great of salts faction all through
the winter season
Silage carts commonly used now can
be backed up Immediately under the
opening to the silo and when the en-
silage is thrown out Of the door. 1t is
loaded ready to draw down the pas
sageway in front OF the stock and be
dealt out to them with shovel in the
proportion that the feeder desires.
As | have already suggested there
is no remnant remaining In the
troughs If reasonable amount Is
given Ensilage loses about 10 pei
cent in feeding value from the time !,
leaves the silo until 1t reaches the
animal II a good silo Is provided. This
figure includes the small portion that
moulds over the surface to form the
covering between the times when the
Silo Is filled and when the feeding q
the ensilage begins.
sDnirymen are particularly pleased
with ensilage as It has the same sue
culent effect As pasture gr.ss has h
summer II tends to stimulate tn
how Of milk in the same way, 1t ~
we'll rated by feeders OF beef cattle
and sheep also. as 1t tends to keep
their animals In high thrift and health
even when used as a part Of the "a
ton. 1t is frequently fed to horses In
considerable quantity when they are
idle. It Is too softening of muscle as
they call It to be fed to horses thar
are hard worked, except as a feed for
once a week or some such interval
Some have been alarmed over en-.
silage freezing in this country 1t does
freeze in the ordinary silo to thick
ness Of eight to fourteen inches on
the wall during the most severe wealth
er In North Dakota. This freezing
does the ensilage no harm. however
50 far as have been able to observe
and have fed good many tons Of It
that have been frozen on the walls,
and at one time fed over fifty tons OF
frozen silage. which remained after .
barn had been burned and the silo
building from around 1t. Leave the
frozen ensilage on the wall until 1t 10
ready to thaw loose and then feed It
ct with the other portion Just % u
Oo1hiaG had happsasd TO t.