Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-09-29
What Constitutes Good slIage.

The simple word silage doesn't tell
much, but good silage tells many things
1t tells of sleek, glossy coated cattle, full
milk pals, horses In prime condition,
healthy hogs, heavy wOoled sheep and
cackling hens that have filed the egg
basket, and all of this in the dead Of
winter. It tells of healthy fat cattle and
full milk pals in the heat of summer
droughts when the pastures are parched
and brown.
But what is good silageP It Is steril-
ICED, partly cooked food made from
corn, planted perhaps a little thicker
than for grain crop, which is cut when
the grain is mostly dented, with some OF
the ears still in the dough and milk, all
of the stalks still green, with the excep'
ton of some of the bottom leaves.
II should be taken at once to the cut.
ter or filler, chopped not over one hall
inch long and tramped thoroughly into
the silo after being perfectly mixed as to
fodder and grain. This is best aone
with distributor. The silo must De
air.tight or good product will not re-
suit.
A tendency on the part of some mod.
ern silage makers and writer's is to lot
the corn get ripper than the practice was
some wears back, and then add water to
take the place of the sap which has been
gotten rid of, their claim being asweet'
er silage and food which runs higner
in food nutrients. But the digestioie
nut trients are the only ones that do any
good, and the dryer the corn gets after
the right stage, the wOodier 1t becomes
and therefore less digestible.
True, the stock eat it all, made at this
stage. but the greatest benefit to be de-
rived from feeding ensilage IN our esti-
nation is the succulence.
Putting corn in the silo adds nothing
to the nutrients, but it does sdd, OF
rather retains, it's succulence, a quality
which gives the animal that soft mellow
feel of the skin, the glossy, oily hsir, anu
the cow the quality which helps MI the
milk pail, more than any other one tooo
element.
On the other hand, corn cut too green
does not make good ensilage as 1t is too
immature. There is loss of nutrients,
here is developed too much acid, which
in proper quantities is very beneficial,
but in overdoses is injurious. There Is
never any free liquid or sap ii cut at the
proper time.
The advantages over dry feed are
many, from the cost item, the comfort
to the feeder, to the verdict of the AMI
NAL, as told by the stockman's wallet.
As to the cost as compared to putting
away fodder or hay, the silo can be, and
is, filled from the starting of the binder
to the withdrawal OF the blowpipe, hir-
ing all machinery, at from 60 to 10 cents
a ton, allowing for local conditions. We
think that no farmer will take exception
with us when We say that hay cannot be
put away in the stack for that money.
As to the cost of putting up and feeding
fodder or shock corn it is more expen'
sive because there is so much OF it vast
ed that has to be handled two or three
times.
As to the labor of feeding silage to
stock it is nothing compared to ieeoing
hay, or digging shocks out OF snow
banks as many had to do the past wint,
or. A fifteen year old boy has done all
the feeding from our silo to herd OF
thirty head, aud enjoyed it for the past
four winters.
The silo is connected to the feed alley
of the barn by feed room, and all feed
inc is done in hangers.
But where ensilage shines is in the re-
suits, as shown by the growth and thrift
of the animal. Stock feeders all know
that under system of dry feeding they
do not expect, nor do they get any
growth or gain during the winter feed
ing period In fact, they usually 60
back or lose in weight, while with the
Intelligent use of silage, feeders expect
and get gain in growth and weight
through the winter as we'll as the sum-
mer.