The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-07-30
ADVICE ON
S|LOS IN
SOUTHWEST
RESULTS OF SPECIAL DEMON
STRATION IN CATTLE FEEDING
AT AMARILLO, TEXAS, ALL OF
WHICH APPLIES HERE.

Washington, July 30.-A spcial dem.
onstration in cattle feeding in Anna
rillo, Texas, has led to the compila.
tion of certain data on how and when
to fill silo, which should be of in
terest to farmers in the southwest.
In western Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona,
New Mexico, California, Utah and
western Kansas, there are Mndoubted.
ly many farmers who are about to
fill silos for the first time this year,
and for such, the following should be
timely.
The proper time to cut this feed
for silage is when the seed are in the
stiff dough stage and the bottom leav-
es begin to turn brown, for at this
stage the plant will have its maxi
mum nutritive value and yet be green
enough to keep well in the silo. This
advice applies particularly to the sill.
age in the Panhandle of Texas, the
greater part of which is made from
kafr, milo, feterita, and sweet sor,
ghum.
When there is large amount of
feed to be cut, the work should be
done with a row binder, this being
the most economical method. In haul
ing the feed from the field to the silo,
wagon with a lowdown bed is much
better than one with a regular hay
frame, as the green bundles are rath-
er heavy to lift. Use sufficient wag-
ons to haul feed as fast as cut. Ii
should not be allowed to wilt or be-
come partly cured before putting into
the silo. 1t will not keep as well if
allowed to become dry. Wagons
should be well loaded each trip, other
wise the expense of filling the silo
will be greatly increased. If one
has strong wagons, four-horse teams
may be used to advantage.
Silage should be cut into one-half
inch lengths, as it packs in much
closer than when left longer, thus
crowding out the air, and the silage |
keeps better. The capacity of the silo |
is also increased and there is less
waste in feeding, as all will be eaten
The power required to run the sill
age cutter, with blower attached, is
ordinarily figured at one horsepower
for each inch of cutter-that is, a
l5inch cutter will require a 15-horse-
power gasoline engine, but in filling
a pit silo where no blower is required
only about half this power is needed.
One of the most, if not the most,
important part in filling a silo is the
packing of the silage. The silage
must be packed well if it is to keep,
for this packing forces out the air
and the essential thing in making sill
age is the exclusion of air. If air
spaces are left in the silo, large
amounts of siage will be lost In a
;io IL feet in diameter and with
small cutter, use two or more men.
n large silos and filing with large
'utters, keep three or more men in
he silo and see that they tramp all
he time. Pack the edges next to the
vail; the middle will take care of it.
elf.
When the plants are green no water
iced be added in making silage, but [
the silage has begun to dry or cure |
n the field some water should be run |
nto the sifo while being filed. This :
$ done to bring the moisture con- !
ents of the silage nearer to its nat 7
ral state, to make it pack down bet .
er, and help exclude the air. One
afe rule in this matter would be:
( in doubt, run in some water. Water
will not hurt the silage if there is
10 excess, and every silo should have q