Milford chronicle., 1913-09-12

a large pasture
and insures a full milk supply during
summer droughts.
Fodder preserved In a concrete silo
Is safe from fire and waste and retains
the maximum food value. The cost
Of building a sllo with a capacity Of
$50 tons need not exceed $500. 1t va
ries according to the supply Of labor.
Concrete costs little more than wood
and is so much better In every way
that 1t is confidently recommended.
No fodder is relished so much by stock
as silage. Its influence Is beneficial
to the animal system. is invigorating
and prevents cripples and impaction.
Succulent silage makes for good health
and heavy milk dow. It is equally
good for. poultry and hogs
Corn is the most suitable Of all crops
for silage. Ii should be harvested
when the bottom leaves are drying OF
and the grain Is doughy and glazing
without hurrying the work Of filling
the silO. the best method Is to ensile
the crop as soon as It Is harvested
cutting the stalks and cobs into small
bits The grain IN more or less mac
Grated In the cutter
The fodder thus treated is carried by
means Of an elevator or blower which
should deliver the material az near the
center Of the sllo as possible This
may be done by the aid Of Il bag chute
attached to the mouth Of the elevator
or the blower
The labor Of distributing the fodder
Is thus minlmized. and an even supply
OF the material will be distributed all
over the silo. If the fodder be al
lowed TO fall direct from the mouth
OF the conveyor the heaviest parts
will fall on one side and the lighter
parts on the other The silage will
not settle evenly. and loss will even
tuate. To assist in close packing it
Is absolutely essential to trample the
product all over the silO. Tramphng
the sides OF around the edges Is not
sufficient for with the shrinking Of
the center the outer edges creep to-
ward it and away from the walls.
thus allowing access Of air and con
sequent loss. The center should al
ways be kept little higher than the
outer edges The rate of filling should
be six to eight feet per day Quicker
filling than this may result in gen
Grating too much heat in which case
the silage is liable to decompOse.
After the silo has been filed the
fodder should be covered with light
framework or coarse sheet and weight
ed down. This is done to keep out
air. and after the silo has been opened
for use In the spring or summer 1t is
best to replace this top covering after
each days supply is taken out Avoid,
as far as practicable. sinking holes In
the sllage. In fact. keep as little of
the silage exposed to the air as posi-
BILE
The daily ration Of silage for a dairy |
COW Is from thirty to forty pounds |
when fed with other folders; when
there is some grass available thirty /
pounds per day is ample. sheep will 1
eat as much rs three pounds day.
It is advisable to give horses small
quantities only Of silage; otherwise
there may be trouble from stomach
Limit the amount fed
10 a few pounds per day. Pigs and
poultry viii eat small quantities.
Silage may be made Of all plants that
animals are permitted to eat in the
green state. and such fodder preserved n
BY this means loses but little Of its
1eedinR DroDerties In the process. In n
,ne way there is a slight improvement
That is. the tougher fber Of sliced
'odder is softened and made thereby
more dlgestible and acceptable to anil
mails.
However. there is great risk III put
ng vegetables in silo If dairy is
Sept The milk is apt to be tainted.
)ats. rye. millet and alfalfa work well
n connection with corn. but the latter
S the main staple and may be used
y Itself.