The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-12-10
SilaSe

COW peas. ETC.. when put into the silo
unnliNed with other crops. produce =
black. ill-smelling silage which seems
to be rotten. This fact led Drs. W.
NJ. Esten and Christie ]. Mason.
chemists of the Storrs. Conn. sta
ton. to make exhaustive studies Of
the fermentation Of silage OF different
kinds, and Bulletin No. 70 Of that
station tells in some 40 pages OF the
discoveries made and how they made
them.
They ascertained that the fermen-
tation Of corn silage changes the su-
gar into acids. by the operation of
bacteria. Tactic acid bacteria CON
vert part Of the sugar into Tactic acid
and yeast bacteria convert the -
naming sugar into alcohol and then
the Tactic acid bacteria convert thu
alcohol into Tactic acid. Under the
operation Of these bacteria silage I'm
dergoes a ripening process not unlike
the ripening Of cheese which softens
the fibre, gives an agreeable flavor
and renders it more easily digested.
1t was also ascertain I that one Of
the chief functions OF the Tactic acid
bacteria is to ferment the protein con
tent of silage; and since the legumeS
contain very little sugar they do not
produce enough Tactic acid bacteria to
ferment their high protein content.
The result is that decay sets in, rot
ting down the legume silage.
Now while corn and sorghum each
makes a fine quality Of silage, both
are deficient in protein, and such 81
age should have c~OttOnSeed meal
mixed with it at the time Of feeding
it. But ~cottOnseed meal is expensive
Cow peas and soy beans are rich IN
protein and may be grown upon any
American farm with decided benefit
to the land, and either will supply the
protein which the corn and sorghum
SO much lack.
Therefore, the authors Of this bulle-
tin recommend the mixing of corn Or
sorghum with COW peas or soy beaus
as they are cut and stored in the silo.
They find hat a mixture Of One-third
legume with tWo-thirds corn makes
a good quality Of silage, the corr
supplying enough sugar for the proper
fermentation Of the entire mass.
Since sorghum contains a larger per
, centage Of sugar it may be mixed
with the peas or soy beans in equal
proportions.
In the same way and for the same
reason, wheat or rye may be mixed
with the June crop Of clover, and the
second cutting Of clover or third cut
ting Of alfalfa may be mixed with corn
IN september in the northern states.
The authors state that since writing
the portions of this bulletin
they ascertained that some progress
sive farmers of Connecticut had by
actual trial and without knowing the
reason successfully ensiloed mixtures
OF oats and peas and of clover and
timothy; also corn and soy beans. And
all or these experimenters agree that
mixing a legume into the silage great
~ improves it's value, especially for
the increase of milk production.
+ Cost OF Milk Production.
Bulletin No. 10 of the Storrs, Conn.
station, by j.. M. Trueman, is entitled
Records Of a Dairy Herd for Five
ears but a more apt title would
ton. At least, the chief use the
author make Of the record is to fig
IRE out the cost Of producing milk.
Much OF the bulletin is given to an
account Of the composition Of tho
nero, the rations fed and how tho
Iecoros were made and kept: but the
larger part of the records pertain to
the weights and cost Of the feedstuffs
the expense Of housing, milking and
caring Tor the herd, etc, even appor-
tiohlns 70 each COW her portion OF
tne interest on the amount invested
IN the barn and dairy equipment. the
amount OF depreciation of each cow
per year, etc.
rom this data, the author calcu-
rates the cost of keeping a COW in
Cohnectlcut at $65 a year, aside from
ane cost or the food she consumes
ms 800 IS made up Of the following
ttens: bedding, So; service Of bull.
90, iaooc OF attendant, $3.50; inter
est on investment in COW and her
part Of barn, $6.75; taxes on cow and
her part of barn. SIPS; her part Of
nI;aLln insurance, 40 cents: her part Of
ilsnt' neat, medicines, disinfectants
&c; etc, -; her annual depreciation,
The average cost OF feed nor oou
was $'2.S5 the first year, s77Os he.
second year. 1875 the third wear.
$500 the fourth year, and 1851 the
figuring the butter at SOC a pound
zoc per 100 pounds. and yaluine he
nlahure and calf at SIS. the average
income per COW was S1O7 0s tho frst