Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1914-01-29

long as they were made air tight, sub
stantial and taken care Of Silage is
a good feed because of its succulency
il satisfies an animal when they eat it
it is very convenient; great amount
can be stored i'll a small space it is a
compact arrangement capable OF great
storage At a moderate expense.
First class silage should be prepared
Just as the corn is fit To cut, with the
corn slightly glazed and the kernel in
the dough Cut the silage short and
put it in an air-tight silo, and the waste
will be small, the loss of food value
at the minimum, and when it is prepared
in this way the animals will relish it
and it will he a proper ration Your
corn should be cut from a half TO
whole day in advance, but not too long
as it dries out and loses it succulency
and the juice all wants TO go to the silo.
The flexible shoot through which the
silagc is blown and distributed is a Won
deriul Improvement on the old methods,
because the silage can be more evenly
distributed and has a chance to get pack
cd evenly as ii should be, Silage should
never be led during milking; it should
be fed either an hour before or, better
still afterwards. For two reasons this
should be needed and the precaution
taken; first, the cow has enough TO do
when she is being MIXED TO attend TO
her milk factory, and the amount Of
milk will gradually increase if you train
your cow 10 devote her whole attention
to that alone and then look for her feed
afterWard Secondly, the slage will give
q slight odor 60 the milk. which can be
easily detected, any other food will have
the same effect and especial attention
should be given To this and the milk
men will profit as we'll as the customers
and the farmer viii find his cows giving
more milk and the milk will be of a
greater per cent of purity The odor
OF the silage goes from the breath to
the lungs thence to the blood and then
TO the mammary GLANDS and thus ap-
pears in Jhc milk \our silo should
not bc disturbed during the sumner. and
g little damp straw viii help keep the
silage in good condition if Il be thrown
over the top of it, Two hundred and fifty
dollars will build moderate silo
about l4x52 feet, which will hold one
hundred tons OF silagc, if the farmer
does sufficient amount of his own labor.
Slage is a good feed for sheep if it is
fed right, if it is mouldy it is apt to
cause ptomaine poisoning; lbs per
day is about the correct amount to feed
a sheep. An insilage cover was sug-
gested as a good plan, and has been
carried out by some Gratiot County
farmers with success; compared with
hay silagc has the ratio of about three
TO one. Some one suggested that salt
be put on the top of the silage in the
silo and was recommended as a good
plan, also steam pipes in the silo through
which steam could be blown is a good
thing if carried out. Quite a lengthy
discussion was engaged in, after which
reports, election OF officers etc, followed.
Chas. a. Van Deventer was elected
president for the ensuing year d. Hell
man. Vice-President and J. B. Miller
retained his position as secretary and
treasurer.
a committee on resolutions, consisting
OF {. a. Van Deventer, Fred Bradford
and Newton Burns reported as follows:
We, the farmers of Gratiot County.
here assembled hereby do express our
appreciation OF this opportunity of at