The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-09-02
Information on Sio


square, oblong or hexagonal form.
The round silo Is most generally used
and has given the best average sat
itsfaction.
Whatever the form or material used
the foundation should be solid, the
wallis absolutely alright and the doors
fitted so that they close up tight and
remain So
"The. diameter should correspond with
the amount of stock to be fed, so that
when opened. one and a half to two
inches of the entire surface can be
raked off and fed every twenty -four
hours. Always feed from the top and
keep the surface as smooth and level
as possible.
''rhe height should be equal to three
times the diameter to secure best re-
suits
"The finer the the material is cut the
better Vt will pack and cure. The ma
terial. should contain enough moisture
to pack firmly. IL too dry or chaffy
water can be added to moisten, but
never enough to make 1t sloppy. It
should be dry enough so there will be
some slight germent, Just enough to
raise the temperature to 100 on 1875.
If the silo rs alright there will be no
danger Of overheating or fire fanging.
II too wet It win sour and pickle in
stead of curing and the result viii not
be satisfactory.
when filling. great care should be
exercised n packing solid all around
the outer edges. II this Is not done
the siiage may shrink away from the
wall allowing the air to enter and spoil
the outer or four inches
''Silage can be made from any green
feed-corn, sorghum, peas and oats,
wheat. rye, barley, clover, alfalfa any
of the grasses beet tops, Russian this
ties. If the silo Is alright. the mater
ial finely cut and we'll packed when
filling, the sdlage will be just as good
| feed when taken out as when put in,
but no better
"Corn males the best silage and is
the material most generally used.
Wherever the climatic conditions are
such that corn may be grown to the
roasting ear stage before frost, 1t Is
the best crop to grow for silage pur-
poses. The best time to cut the corn
Is just as the kernels begin to glaze
or dent; the plant has then reached it's
full growth and contains a larger meas
ure OF digestible nutrients than at any
other time, either before or after.
AS quality is more important than
quantity, variety Of corn should be
used that win mature to this stage
before frost Acclimated seed should
be used where possible and the corn
should be planted thin enough so each
stalk will carry one or more good ears
Zone of the most common causes Of
dissatisfaction is the use, of eastern
seed Of some large late maturing var
iety that viii make rank growth of
stalk with little or no grain--the corn
is cut too green, and the silage Is
sour and sloppy with very little food
value.
Next to corn, peas and oats have
proven the most satisfactory crop to
grow for silage use; with winter wheat
and vetch a close second. The peas
and oats should be cut at the time the
oats begin to yellow and the lower pods
Of peas are ripening. With the wheat
and vetch or any of the smaIl grains.
the best time 20 cut Is when the
J grain Is in the dough.
"When weather conditions are such
that clover or alfalfa cannot be cured
as hay, a very good silage can be made
by putting the green or wet clover or
atlanta In the silo. 1t is very import
ant that this material should be cut
fine and packed firm
Course slough grass. lodged grain
or other material that would be unpal-
atable as hay. will give better results
II put in the silo.
.'Where sugar beets are grown, the
tops are often stored in silos and
make excellent feed for livestock OF
any kind except horses.
s.About 80 lbs. OF silage Of any sort
L. a. .f...x ct.ra ha
fed per day.
..Thirty pounds of corn silage and
fifteen pounds OF alfalfa hay Is a good
daily forage ration for an average
dairy COW.
.sGrain hay should be fed with clover
or alfalfa silage."