The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1911-10-20
VALUE Of GOOD SILO|
Corn Is Best Forage 4 Crop Grown
ii the Northwest.

Yields Very Heavy Supply o. Rough.
age, but Does Not Contain Muscle
Forming Food That Alfalfa
and Glover DO.
tBy J. H. SHEPHERD. North Dakota
Agricultural College)
An 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 It Is
difference between q good crop and q
poor one that 1t noted. When farm
land gets little old combating weeds
Is a serious problem. Growing corn
In check rows has proven the best
method of combating the average
North Dakota weed that we have SO
TAR found.
Corn is the safest forage crop, one
year with another. that can be grown
In the northwest. It yields q very
heavy supply Of roughage. more than
twice as much as the average hay
plant. It does not contain the muscle
forming food that clover. alfalfa and
Geld 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. This fact is 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 the stock on &C
count Of the corn being so coarse and
woody in its stalks. The silo and the
corn shredder have largely eliminated
this difficulty as the animals will con-
sumo the silage without waste and
eat almost all of the shredded stalks.
Corn fodder is disagreeable to ham
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
safe keeping stack. II left in the
shock until time to feed it, heavy
loss Of digestible material has occur
red. usually equalling 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
and snow in mid-winter when the crop
is fed from the shocks to the animals
direct in the feed lot.
When ensilage is once in the silo,
which is job that lasts only for
about q 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 of a layer Of
from i've to six inches a day. 1t does
not mould or spoil and It can be fed
with great of satisfaction 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. It 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
fs no remnant remaining in the
troughs II a reasonable amount is
given. Ensilage loses about 10 per.
cent. in feeding value from the time It
leaves the silo until it reaches the
animal II 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 filed and when the feeding 81
the ersilage begins. #
Oairymen are particularly pleased
with ensilage as it has the same sue
culent effect as pasture grass has In
summer. It tends to stimulate the
flow of milk In the same way. It 90
well 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 part Of the rass
ton. It islsfrequently fed to horses in
considerable quantity when they are
idle. + IL Is too soft ening Of muscle rs
they call ii to be- fed to horses that.
are hard worked. except 40 9 feed for
once q week or some such interval.
Jome have been alarmed over en-
silage freexins In this country II does;
freeze I'M the ordinary silo to 3 thick
ness sof eight to fourteen Inches on
tho wall during the most severe wealth;
o. = North Dakota This freezing
does tie enailae i'm. however.
q farS as 4 have sbls ~ Observe