Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-09-03
IN n. B. RusHINGl

as ought? Am | producing milk as
economically as ! might? Is 1t pos
slble, with such feed as silage, my
cows may be kept in a more healthful
condition, because this feed having IN
It the natural juices makes It more
easily digested and a COW is able to
do more and better work?
Many farmers who have recently
built silos and many who did not build
are asking themselves the above ques-
tions, and well they may. Those who
have built and have good silage are
now getting their eyes opened, and
those that have no silos are now be-
ginning to see "the handwriting on
the wall"
A natural feed of this character
which has the natural juices all re-
tanned in 1t keeps the digestive organs
of the animal in a cool, laxative condi-
ton and permits US to feed more
heavily of other feeds, and thus, we
are able to increase her capacity for
producing milk in far greater degree.
Experience has taught me many
things about the silo. When put up
my first one | was taught that almost
anything would do for silo, and that
almost anything could be put in It,
The first year l planted late-matur-
ing corn that grew and grew as though
1t had all the time in the world to get
ripe in, and when the time came for
the silo filling 1t was scarcely in good
roasting ear condition.
What was the result? A watery lot
of stuff in very acid condition that
had to be fed in very limited way
to keep the COWS from securing and
getting off feed. This was certainly
discouraging; but a man who makes a
success with COWS must have grit
enough to meet discouragements.
found out that year that to have
good silage l must plant a kind OF
corn that would mature early and get
It out in time so that 1t could mature
that / had better sacrifice some on
quantity and have better quality. From
that year the silo has been filled with
the same kind of corn that was raised
for field purposes, and there has never
yet been a single failure.
There is no secret having good
sweet silage-just plain, common sense
First the silo must be made in such
way as to exclude all the air. Their
too, the foundation must be good, Il
prevent settling and cracking. Th'
material used may be either wood
stone, brick or cement, Iron or stee
cannot be used, as the moisture ant
acid in the silage would soon rus
through.
All stone, cement, brick silos, etc
must be reinforced with wire or rod
to insure strength. A wood silo mad
rough is, of course, strengthened b,
the hoops, and that is the only kin,
that would be built of wood
The size of the silo, of course, dc
pend on the amount of stock you wis
to carry, as a certain amount must b
fed each day to keep the top laye
from spelling, and the deeper the be-
ter, as each added foot gives adde
weight to the silage and helps to max
1t more solid and exclude the air.
II a silo is made too large in DIANE
ter. and this believe to be very FRI
uuent error, one of two things wi
happen-either the silage will
moldy all the time, owing to the inabi
ity to feed it down rapidly enough, {
else the COWS will be fed more tina
they should have, in an attempt
keep ahead of the molding.
l strongly favor the use of goC
silage In summer to hold the COWS
their work and not allow them to shiI
in the milk flow during the short pa
ture of July and August. think mar
cows may be made to add 20 per Ger
to their years production by tidlr
them over this period. l have trit
soiling, but never found anything
cheap, so good and so convenient
we'll filled silo. A few feet in Il
bottom of deep silo will go lol
way for summer use and there Il
conditions are most favorable for t
preserving of the silage, as the enc
nous weight of the silage in a de
silo has compacted 1t, and its bel
uOWu near INC UOllOlu away llOul l
circulation of the air helps very ma
rally in its preservation.
The quality of the silage may
materially bettered by using care
taking it out. Don't put the fork doV
five or six inches deep, as though y
were pitching manure, but use a 70
with tines close together and skim
the top, only loosening what you ne
for the days feeding.
Keep the surface level, and perha
a little lower near the outer wa
Silage cannot be handled as carele