The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1914-04-24
SILOS AND SILAGE
They Spell Profit for the Farmer and
Dairyman

|
Following are the points
brought out by the talks on sill
age given by the speakers on the
dairy and silage train that re-
Gently visited Milbank:
Wherever cattle are kept, there
should the silo be. Any dairyman or
farmer who considers the cost of feed
ing will be quick to recognize the
economy of silos and silage. do not
see possibility of his failing If he
will surround himself with q few
dairy cows and erect silo. During
the long winter months, tho late
springs and early falls the silo will
supply his stock with green food and
keep up steady flow OF milk, When
drouth comes, causing his crops to
wither and dry, the silo will furnish
place for curing them and feed for
his live stock is thereby saved.
A few advantages of . silo are cit
ed here to convince the ''waverinY"
man to quick action, to begin to plan
for the erection of some kind Of silo
during the coming season and have it
ready for his corn crop this fall:
~ More food can be stored in a
given space in the form of silage than
in the form of fodder or hay.
~ There is more food value in
crops cured as silage than cured for
fodder or hay, because there is no
chance for the feed to become sun
dried, and because OF the succulency
and palatability of the feed.
i3) More stock can be kept in
given area of land when silage is the
basis of the ration. Many men Of
experience claim that a silo will cut
the cost CT feeding right in two.
az Silage supplements the pasture.
One acre of ground producing six tons
of silage will feed one COW ~ pounds
. day, every day for ten months.
Surely this is more economical than
pasture.
(5) There is less waste in feeding
sila9e than in feeding fodder. Corn
stalks when converted into silage are
all eaten, and thus the food value of
of the entire crop is utilized.
(6) Silage is one OF the cheap pest
feeds known. It will cost only from
81. so to $3.50 per ton to grow corn sill
age house it and put it into the silo.
sWhat kind of silo shall build?"
is the question every man asks and
must answer for himself. There are
some fundamental things to bear in
mind in making decision. "a Silos
must be alright: ~ silos must be
strong and durable. (3) silos should
be permanent: "a silos should be easy
to construct: (5) silos should be cheap
as possible, but consistent with good
construction.
To the man who is jus1 beginning,
who has very little capital and whose
farm is in the dry area. the pit silo
should appeal very strongly. This
is silo in the ground made by dig
ging circular hole about fourteen to
sixteen feet in diameter and twenty to
twenty four feet deep. These have
been constructed in various parts OF
South Dakota and Montana and
wherever used have given splendid
satisfaction. They have several ad.
vantage in that they will not be des.
troyed, are cheap, easy to construct,
silage will not freeze in them and are
within the reach of every mans purse !
the only cash outlay being for the |
cement used in plastering the wall |
The pit silo is adapted only to those |
sections Of land wherein the water |
does not come within 80 feet of the |
surface.
The concrete silos built either with |
blocks concrete staves or solid walls, |
are giving splendid service and are
undoubtedly the most durable of all |
silos. II men will build their own,
there is no necessity of their being |
any more expensive than the various |
wooden types Of silos.
Sand and gravel are not always
convenient hence the wooden silo,
cut to fit and full instructions are al.
ways sent so that the farmer will |
have no dlffibulty in erecting them.
Wooden silos should be strongly re.
inforced with iron rods and safely an
chored to some substantial building |
to prevent their spreading apart and |
blowing down. They should also be |
kept oiled and painted to preserve |
the wood. There is NJ reason why
good wooden silo should not stand |
twenty five to thirty years. With the |
many types and forms available and |
the pit silO SO easy to construct there !
is really no excuse for every farmer
who is keeping live stock not having |
one.
Death Of Fredrick Clausen