Sharp County record., 1917-05-11
CORN FOR S|LAGE
MEANS MORE MEAT.
Sorghum and Kafir Corn Also Make
Good Silage-Garden Work
For May.
BY Dean Martin Nelson, College OF
Agriculture, University OF
Arkansas

BY Dean Martin Nelson, College of
Agriculture, University of
Arkansas.
There is every indication at the
present time that there will be So
rious shortage of all kinds Of feed
for livestock, and it will pay the far
mers of Arkansas to plan on silage
crops.
Corn the Staple Crop For the SIo.
The staple crop for the silo is corn
Other crops mentioned later are good
and may be used, preferably, with
corn. No special kind of corn is nee
essary to make good silage. Any va
rlety of corn that will produce a good
! yield of ears as we'll as stalks is
good silage corn. We want grain as
well as stalks and leaves, and the va
riety that produces great growth OF
stalks and very little corn is poor
variety for silage. We want as large
a growth of stalks as possible with
ears in proportion. Any large grow
ing variety of corn standard for Ar
kansas is good silage corn. See Ar
kansas Station Bulletin No $50 for
large growing varieties.
Corn for silage may be planted
| little thicker in the row than usual.
Silage corn may be planted at the
usual corn planting time, provided
the other farm operations permit fill
ing the silo when the corn Is suff-
GENTLY matured. It is usually practi-
cal to make second, later planting
in order to fill the silo after the first
filing has settled or to prevent some
Of the corn from becoming too ripe
before the silo can be filed for the
year. Stage Of maturity is important
in point of feeding value as we'll as
in keeping quality The ripper the
grain the better but filling the silo
should be done when the corn begins
to dent we'll and the leaves begin TO
dry.
Sorghum Also Makes Good Silage.
Sorghum, preferably ripe, may be
used for silage alone, or with corn.
It does not actually improve the 81
lage, but the sugar in the sorghum
serves to add some variety to 1t as
feed. One-third or one-half sorghum
may be used with corn by planting
It In every second or every third row
In the field Sorghum alone is fre-
quently used for silage with satisfac
ton. The so-called Seeded ribbon
cane" Is large yielder and some
times produces greater tonnage than
: corn under drouthy conditions. The
larger tonnage, when fed to cattle oc-
casionally gives returns per acre
equal to returns from corn silage. Ton
for ton, corn silage Is a slightly better
feed, safer also In keeping qualities.
kaflr May Be Used In Same Way.
Kafr corn may be used for silage
in the same way as sweet sorghum
However, sweet sorghum is to be pre-
ferred
Cow Peas viii Add To Value Of
Corn Sllase,
Cow peas added to corn will improve
the feeding value Of sllage. They
may be used to the extent ofone-fourth
to one-half Of the total bulk OF silage
Not more than that proportion Is prac-
ticable because Of the poor keeping
quality Of the peas, They may be
planted with the corn, provided you
use q late variety, but better adj
! justment can be made by planting
the peas separately say three weeks
later than the corn, and when par.
TALLY matured, cut and haul 80 as to
mix one load Of peas with one or two
loads Of corn as II goes to the silage
cutter Soy beans may be grown and
used In the same way as COW peas,
with practically the same results as n
feed,
Care In Filling sllo viii Prevent Losa.
Care In the filling OF the silo will
prevent loss from spelling. The 81.
lage should be well packed, especial
ly around the outside, Water should
not be applied unless the corn has
become too dry and will not pack
we'll As tho safest proposition
for the man who Is making the
first trial with sllage, he had
better use corn and corn only Of
q good producing variety When tho
art Of making slage that will keep
Ia better understood he can safely
try other crops or mixtures