Arizona republican., 1917-06-27
The Silo In Arizona

more recent years a prominent Hol- stein breeder, says:
 There will be 800 silOs built in the Salt River valley this season. He bases this estimate on the talks that he has had with dairymen of the val ley who have come to realize the ad- vantages of the silo. Probably many of those who have talked and planned silos will lose their enthusiasm as the summer sun and the stored irrigation water induces the usual summer growth of vegetation, but unless some unusual conditions arise there is bound to be a great many silos built. Most dairymen who own their own land will build silos, if not this sea son. then next. The tenant farmer is at somewhat disadvantage, but many of them are talking of pit silos, or a light stave silo that can be taken down and moved if necessary.
 Crops That Are EnsiIed
 Corn so far seems to be the most satisfactory silage crop. A combina- tion of corn and sorghum works very nicely making a great amount of very good quality slage Ralph Murphy. previously mentioned as the builder of | the trench SilO, uses a tWo-rOW corn | planter with corn in one hopper and | cane in the other Planting back and l forth across the field brings two rows l of corn and two rows of sorghum to- , gether This makes the mixture in l the silo even and in the right propor ! tion to make good silage.
 Usually the corn crop is planted in i mid summer about the middle of July to be exact, and is harvested early in November. Truck gardeners have grown a spring crop of corn for the 1 roasting ears. but asa field crop plant ed in the spring, corn has been grown | but a very little This season at least 1 one dairyman, Dr. J. c. Norton, who built one of the two first silos, has l planted spring crop for silage.
 Alfalfa as silage crop has been tried out but very little. The Pacific Creamery has tried alfalfa twice. once cutting which would have otherwise been spoiled by rain, and which was saved and made good silage At an other time alfalfa was tried in the silO and did not make so good silage. It is probable that alfalfa silage to be first class should be put into the silo rather damp and be weighted heavily.
 Mexican June Corn
 Corn is being developed here to an extent which leads me to believe that within a few years it will largely dis place the grain sorghums (milo and kaffir) for silage and grain as well. We have not regarded this as a corn country; eastern seed has frequently failed to make a crop, while a times It makes very good yield This is due to the need of the plant for hu- miditv in the air when the pollen is falling. It sometimes happens that a timely shower comes just as the corn Is nicely in flower, and the result is a nice crop. Again, it may be dry and the crop consists of fodder and a few nubbins The native corn. such as the Mexican June and "Squaw" corn, is a sure crop but has been a small yielder These varieties are immune to atmospheric conditions and logically the corn for this climate. The govern ment experiment station at the Saca- ton Indian reservation has been doing some work in breeding up the Mexican June corn, and during the past few seasons some seed of what is now known as the Improved Mexican June corn was distributed and planted by a number of farmers. Yields of forty to fifty bushels under only average con-
 ditions have been common enough to
 warrant the belief that this corn will be further developed to a point where
 yields equal to the yields in the corn
 belt will be the rule. This corn as it
 is now improved makes a good tonnage of silage. This may not seem like an exceptionally large yield for land that
 produces ten tons of alfalfa to the acre
 in season, but considering that corr
 here follows crop of grain it is not
 so bad, especially as we may conf
 dently expect to see further improve
 ment within the next few years
 expect to see the Mexican June corr
 developed to the equal of any corn fol a main crop, and also to see it uset
 more largely for spring crop to ma
 ture in July as well as for a mair
 crop to be planted in July and har
 vested in the fall. The spring crol put into the silo in July will be bi,
 help to the dairyman in the hot day of summer when the cows prefer tn, cool shade, and alfalfa does not hay quite the milk producing qualities tha u does later and earlier in the season The sllo has been slow to arrive i, Arizona but it is here to stay.