The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-03
.ENSILACE PROVES
HIcH FOOD VALUE.
Farmers of Northwest Begin
to Realize Worth of
Winter Green Feed.
CROPS ARE SUITABLE
Northern Pacific Pamphlet
Gives Montana Men Valu-
able Suggestions.
~ PROF. THOMAS SHAW.

6Y PROF. THOMAS SHAW.
AS a means OF preserving food for
livestock, the silo is coming more and
more into favor In all parts Of the
United States. When the advantages
Of preserving food thus are considered,
the only ground for surprise is that
1t has not come into general use more
rapidly. These advantages include the
following:
~ Viewed from the standpoint Of
cost. It il the cheapest form Of struc-
ture in which food can be preserved.
t2) It is the method by which food
for livestock can be preserved for long
periods without deterioration.
(3) II makes II possible to preserve
folders regardless OF the character Of
the weather.
~ It preserves food so that it may
be fed In the green form. that is. while
its value is unimpaired by loss of sue
culence or otherwise.
(6) 1t reduces the labor of feeding to
q minimum at all seasons Of the year.
Valuable for Northwest.
While the silo is a valuable adjunct
to farming in all parts of the country, 1t
IL. perhaps. of special service In the
northwestern states. While the So
called dry zones have deservedly won a
great name for large yields In normal
seasons, frequently during the summer
seasons, owing to a somewhat scant
rainfall In some localities. pastures he
come dry SO that summer feeding from
the silo is desirable IN order to keep up
the growth Of young stock and to sus-
tain the fow OF milk where dairying is
practiced. The keeping of livestock on
the arabic farms can be conducted on
lines that are more safe and profitable
when the farmers carry over some of
the folders from seasons of normal
production. in preserved FORM to help
out In a season of short rainfall. In
no way can this be done so surely as
by preserving them in the slo. In the
absence of such preparation. there is
danger that some at least of the live
stock must be put upon the market
when not in matured condition, and so
must BIC sold at a sacrifice. Should food
be purchased, thesprices paid are dear
out Of all proportion,
1917 Good Example.
Ia nearly all the area from central
North Dakota to the Cascade noun
tains. the country is passing through
such an experience at the present time
The season OF 1917 was unusually dry
Livestock is being shipped and sold
much of which might profitably have
been kept in the country had feed been
stored in silos SO as to make 1t pos
sible to keep them. The price of hay
in the stack in the autumn began at
$500 a ton for native hay and at more
than $4,000 IA ton for alfalfa, and in
many localities none of either class
could be bought. Had a part of the
forage of the hountfuI crop of the
preceding year been carried over
IN the stack or III the s.io, the adverse
results which the dry season of 1917
produced could in great measure
have been aya:tnd The silo is much
better adapted than the stack for car
rying over a reserve supply or food. In
the latter il soon begins to tleteriorate,
but in the former it may be preserved
indefinitely and until it is needed, with i
out loss. This would mean, Of course,
that the farmer should aim TO have a
reserve s!o in addition to the one that
he ordinarily feeds from.
Silaee Crops for the Dry Areas.
The most suitable crop for the silo
in tho northwestern states is. probably
corn. Other fodder crcps suitable for
the siio include s"e Get clover and the
Russian sunflowel. The most suitable
grain crops Tor the silO in dry regions
are wheat and wulter rye, but of course
other grain crops may be used. Where
alfalfa and the ordinary ciovers may
be grown. as in the more moist areas
or under irrigation, il may be advan-
tageous to cure the first cutting in the
Silo because of the showers that fire.
qnently fall at that time, even In local.
ties more or less dry, but at other time.
1t would seem better TO cure them il
Gry form. ...-.
Wheat has not been made into silag,
to any great extent, but enough ha
been done in this line to show that i
il quite feasible to use 1t thus.
Rye may he successfully preserve,
in the silo. as was demonstrated by tn
writer more than Is years ago. In ell
mates reasonably humid, other prod
ucts that are more bulky than rye wi
b used instead. But in dry areas ry.
especially winter rye. may be depend
"a npen TO produce a reasonable Gro
any. season. especially if sown undo
fsyosable conditions.
Corn ~ EnsiIags.
OF all the fodder crops grown. cor
Ii unQuestionably without a peer in i
neaitabiltty for being preserved in Ii
ei1O. This Is true OF the corn plal
In the northwestern states as well ;
- other parts Of the corn belt b
~ some parts Of the northwest it
ri always feasible to grow the requ
q - tonnAxe because Of low summ