The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-09
save SECOND CLOVER
CROP WITH PIT S|l0.
Because if Dry Season 1t Will
Be Impossible to Use
Feed as Hay.
EASY TO CONSTRUCT
Silage Products Make Better
Food Tor Cattle and Not
so Expensive.
EASY TO CONSTRUCT

This has not only been late sea :
son. but 4 dry one as well and those
farms near the foothills which COM
monty get two crops of clover. even
though they have no irrigation. can
scarce expect to harvest their second
cutting this year. However on the
irrigated ranches of the state, those
whose owners did not delay irrigation
too long. two crops of clover will be
forthcoming, though the second crop
will undoubtedly be rather late. The
question of what to do with this sec
Ond crop is one that bothers many
farmers. At best the second crop of
clover Is hard to put up in the higher
valleys Of the state. due to the fall
rains and. early SHOWS which come
just at the time of the ripening of the
crop. This year, with the second
crop unusually late, this difficulty will
be intensified. 1t is small wonder that
many farmers are puzzled as to how
best to save the crop.
Use Pit SiIo.
The pit silo offers one way. and
satisfactory one, out of the difficulty.
In putting clover into u pit silo it
makes little difference whether the
clover is wet or not indeed the wetter
1t is the better, for the best clover
silage needs water added to the green
clover to pickle 1t. II can be showing
when the silage Is being made and
still no harm will result. The second
crop is a sure thing by this method.
therd ~ lllee. glsasl-this year with
hay high in price, there is no reason in
the world for not conserving every bit
of feed possible. On the market
silage has little or no value, but as a
stock feed it is as good or better than
hay. when fed in conjunction with the
latter.
Easy to Build.
The pit silO is easy to build. in fact
almost any farmer who has ever had
experience with concrete or cement
work can build one without any other
than his regular farm labor. The pit
silo is merely hole in the ground.
lined with cement to make it water
tight and to keep the walls from
crumbling. In 1t the silage cannot
freeze and there is no chance for air
to get in; in fact the silo in these
respects is superior to many above
ground silos. The chief objection to
the pit silo is that it is rather diff
cult to remove the silage. but with q
proper sort of hoist this trouble is
largely tobviated.
A pit silo can be built, or better 1t
would be to say that the cement and
other materials used in the construc-
tion of a pit silo will be in the neigh
borhood Of $50 per ton. This is not
figuring in the cost Of labor.
Full directions for building a pit
silo have been issued both by the
Montana experiment station and by
the United States department Of agri-
culture and literature on the subject
will be sent by either of these insti-
tutions.
Any kind of silage can be put in the
pit silo. Not only will clover make
good silage, but alfalfa also can be
used. Sweet clover has been used with
good success in some parts of the
state; sunflowers of the large variety
and of course corn has proven sue
cessful IN Montna silos. AS a feed by
itself silage is not as good as hay, but
when tho two can be mixed together
and fed through the winter the cattle
will keep in better shape than those
which are fed hay alone. This applies
to dairy and beef cattle both. Silage
Is more common on the dairy farms
than on ranches where beef cattle are
raised. but the latter will find it prof
liable to install pit silos. especially
where there is difficulty in putting up
the second crop of clover