The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1918-10-10
SILOS SHOULD BE
FILLED TO CAPACITY
Department of Agriculture Says
Particular Pains Should Be
Taken to Save Everything


neighborhood cooperation in silo filling
should be highly developed during the
current fall. The United States depart
ment of agriculture suggests that all
the silage crops should be saved with
out loss, while all silcs should be filled
to capacity. Five or six or more farm
ers, who own silos in one community
should combine their working forces
into a crew which should rotate from
farm to farm as the corn becomes ripe
enough. Such an arrangement result
ing from the interchange of neigh
borhood farm labor will nlinimumize
the expense of housing the silage crop.
Furthermore, the cooperation develop
ed between the adjoining farms Will
permit many stockmen to fill their
silos at low cost, whereas these silos
might have to remain empty if only
the labor supply on the individual farm
were available.
1t is essential that corn should not
be cut for ensilage until it is mature
and thru the dough stage as repeated
demonstrations have shown conclusive
ly that corn cut in this condition is at
the peak of nutrient value. The buga-
boo about frosted corn being wholly
unsuitable for ensilage is fallacy, as
corn which has been damaged by the
frost can be converted into very good
ensilage if it is cut shortly afterwards.
In the case of badly frosted corn, there
occurs considerable loss of leaves.
In case the corn is excessively dry
and wilted at the time of silo filling,
water should be run thru rubber hose
into the cutting box and blower dur
ling the filling process so that the chop
ped feed may be wet thoroly and rem
dered succulent for future feeding. In
extreme cases where it is impossible
to saturate the corn thoroly in this
manner, and where water pressure is
available, second hose is sometimes
carried over the top of the silos SO that
the water falling on a board inclined
against the side of the silo and NOV
ed at regular intervals serves suffic-
!. iently to thoroly moisten the forage.
Labor in loading the corn on the
} wagons in the field may be reduced by
{ the use of an elevating attachment,
], several standard types of which are
e now on the market. This device is at
e tached to the corn harvester and de-
r posts the bundles Of corn as they are
e cut on the wagons which may be
r driven opposite the machine If it is
S desired to start the binder severe
J, hours ahead of the ensilage cutter, thu
a attachment is not used, as then III
r corn may be dumped on the ground ant
II from there loaded by hand. Such
e practice gives the corn harvester
l. handicap over the wagons that ar
e hauling so that the corn elevator ca
lie be used efficiently.
J. In view of the current high price
c. of grain, the specialists of the Unite
is States department of agriculture sue
It. gest that, in many instances, the ear
n may be profitably snapped or huske
ut and only the fodder converted into S
z lage. By the practice of this systel
OF the silo will still provide a wealth
re cheap, succulent roughage, while ii
lis farmer will be able to use the ear col
it from the silage field for other pu
en- poses
nd Sealing of the silo after the stru
st ture is filled is too often neglecte
elk There are number Of practical met
to DDS of topping off the silo so as /.
r. minimize waste and spoilage. A cor
nd mon practice is to level the silage al
tic then to tramp over the top thoroly f
nd 20 or 80 minutes every day for abo,
,r- a week in order to eliminate air poke
re near the top of the silo and to thoro
in compact the mass of feed. Then GA
% may be sown after the top of the e.
he silage has been thoroly soaked wit
all water. Another practice is to remo'
ID the ears of corn from the last two I
on three loads which are fed into the 81
nd so that the top surface silage is con
he posed entirely of stalks and leav'
as which are not so valuable and do n,
represent large loss of feed when Il
d. top five to six inches of silage spoi
er Many farmers report reduced loss'
rs of silage when the silo is opened fl
M. feeding purposes where they. have CO
| I cred the ensilage after it has bee
u leveled and packed with tar roofir
rs paper which is weighted down and he
if in place by means of short plan
th Under such conditions the siiage keel
his well for three or four months befol
p the silo is opened with only loss {
tn about two or three inches at the to
r. of the silo.