New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-09-22
FROSTED CORN sILAGE.

Farmers Can Save Corn Which Fails
to Mature by Putting it into the
silo Immediately After the First
n Frost.
The fact that corn if frosted and imme-
diately put into the silo will still make
good silage may prove Of great advantage
to corn growers in certain sections where
the lateness of the present season may
prevent the corn from ripening or
reaching the glazed stage before the
first frost, according to the dairying
experts of the department. Those who
have not been intending to make silage
OF their corn should find this information
very useful in the event that corn can
not be harvested in the ear.
The best corn silage, of course; is pro-
duced where the corn can be put into
the silo after it had reached the glazed
stage. In an emergency, however, where
the corn has not reached the glazed stage
before frost, it is better to give it all
the growing time possible, even if it
has to be put into the silo Immediately
after the first frost. Every extra grow
ing day after the corn has reached the
milk stage adds very much to the solid
constituents of the silage, as in these last
few days there is very important trans
fer of material from the roots into the
stalk and ear of the plant. In fact,
the corn plant when it reaches the milk
stage contains only about IS per cent
of the dry matter that it contains two
weeks later.
Aside from the increased feeding
value, the corn when it has reached the
glazed stage contains much larger per-
centage of starch and smaller per-
centage of sugar. The high proportion
of sugar in immature corn is one of the
main reasons for the high acidity in the
silage made from it. The amount Of
acid in the silage is found to be very
nearly in proportion to the sugar present
in the corn.
Where it has been necessary to delay
until after the first frost to cut the corn
for silage, it is essential that the plants
be not allowed to stand frosted in the
field. They must be cut and put into
the silo at once. The chief effect of the
frosting, it will be found, is to reduce
somewhat through evaporation the water
content of the plants. In packing
frosted corn, therefore, it will probably be
necessary to add some water to the
blower as the corn is being run through
the cutter. The amount to be added
depends very largely upon the stage Of
maturity. If cut when the kernels are
beginning to dent, the lower leaves are
often quite brown and naturally need
some extra moisture. At any rate, only
water enough should be added to make
the material quite damp, SO that it will
pack firmly. Where frosted immature
corn, not even near the glazed stage, is
packed, little or no water probably will
be required. ~ :.
In the above discussion reference is had
only to the corn plant. ~
Dates of Average First Frost in
various Sections.
The following data as to the average
date of occurrence of first frost and the
earliest frost recorded in the different
sections may be of service to the farmers
in sections where the crop is late, in
planning their emergency silage opera
lions. It must be understood, however,
that these dates are merely average, and
are not to be taken as absolute for frost
appearance in any particular year.
In the principal corn-producing Sec
lions on line extending roughly from
central Nebraska northward over ex-
IRENE northwest Iowa, southern Mime
sofa, and central Wisconsin the average
date of first killing frost is about Septen-
Der Is. To the eastward of the Mississippi
AAO uIlpOICdAC CO1U-pAOuOSAAAS areas ~
ceive killing frost on the average before
about October 5. In the more southern
portions of the belt from southern Kan
sas eastward to Tennessee the time of
occurrence is prolonged until the last 10
days in October. In this connection the
earliest date in fall on which killing frost
has occurred and the latest date reached
without it's occurrence become of interest.
From Nebraska and Kansas eastward to
the Appalachian Mountains the earliest
recorded occurrence ranges from Sep
TENDER 10 in the northern portions to
about September rs in the southern,
while for the same districts the time Of
occurrence has been known to be de-
layed in the northern portions until the
last 10 days in October and in the
co,,thor, porti ions IN uyol1 into NOvornh nr