The Dickinson press., 1911-11-11
VALUE OF GOOD sILo
Corn Is Best Forage Crop Grown
/: In the Northwest.
Yields Very Heavy Supply Of Rough
age, but Does Not Contain Muscle
+. Forming Food That Alfalfa +.
and Glover %.

fBy J. 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 it is a
difference between a good crop and a
poor one that 1t noted. When farm
land gets a little old combating weeds
ls a serious problem. Growing corn
in check rows has proven the best
method of combating the average
North Dakota weed that we have so
far found. -.
Corn is the safest forage crop, one
year. with another, that can be grown
In, the northwest. It yields a 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 it 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 a guaran-
tee of its feeding value,
One great difficulty which has been
experienced in growing corn fodder is
that a large amount Of the digestible
count Of the corn being sc 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 di~sagreeable to han
die and to feed on account Of the
animals have eaten off all that they
will and on account Of its failing to
dry out thoroughly enough to make a
safe keeping stack. If left in the
shock until time to feed 1t, a 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 a 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 q day, it does
not mould or spoil and it can be fed
with a 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 a shovel in the
proportion that the feeder desires.
AS I have already suggested there
is no remnant remaining in the
troughs If 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 If 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 of
the ensilage. begins.
Dairymen are, particularly pleased
with ensilage as it has the same sue.
culent effect as pasture grass has in
summer. 1t tends to stimulate the
flow Of milk in the same way. It IL
well rated by feeders of beef cattle
and sheep also, as it tends to keep
their animals in high thrift and health,
even when used as a part Of the "a
ton. It is frequently fed to horses in
considerable quantity when they are
idle. 1t is too softening of muscle az
they call it to be fed to horses that
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 It does
freeze in the. ordinary silo, to asthick.
ness Of eight to fourteen inches On
the wall. during the most sever wealth.
or inGNorthID Dakota. This freezing
doessthes ensilage no harm. however,
so far as / have been able to observe
andsI have fed good many tons Of II
that have been frozen on the walls,
and at one. time. fed over fifty tons OF
frozen silage. which remained after i
barn had been burned and the silo
building from around It. Leave the
- 80 80 I.