The Glenwood post., 1920-04-03
HOW fAE SILO
PRESERVES FORAGE
(By Carl Norgren-


the silo has been comparatively re-
Gently developed, but it is not new
any longer inasanuch as its true worth
has been proven over period of years
beyond peradventure of doubt.
A fact, may it be ever so new, once
clearly established in the realm of
most professions and sciences is at
once accepted and used by the balance
of the profession or science Not so
however with the farmer Either al!
Missouri is made up of farmers or all
farmers came from Missouri, else we
would never have the show me'' slo
gan, / am sure.
NO matter what success a detail of
farming has met with elsewhere, it
must prove itself anew in each locality
in which champion has the ten,erl.y
to Introduce it. In this way, agricul-
tural developments are really to be
envied las they have an annual re-birth
and remain perpetually new until they
have reached the nether-most corners
of the earth by gradual degrees, never
by leaps and bounds Wouldn' some
politicians give lot to be real i've
agricultural subjects,
Forty-five years ago the first silo
was built in this country. In the first
five years the practieability and WORTH
of the silO was demonstrated. Those
early efforts were largely along the
lines of the pit silo and later with
small part of their capacity above the
ground
During the last forty years it has
been given US only to improve OH meth
DDS of construction and experiment to
determine the exact degree OF riponess
of the fodder, inquire into picking
processes ETC., to secure the greatest
possible efficiency out of the silo, but
the true WORTH of the silo has never
been questioned since there first crude
In order to determine for yourself
just the type of silo which you con-
slider most desirable for your condition
it is necessary to know just what the
silo does and what its proper function
is. When you have these processes in
mind it is easy to assure yourself that
the silo you purpose to build fulfill,
all the requirements and makes your
investment of 100 per cont value.
Reduced to its simplest equation the
preservation of silage is no different
than the preservation of fruit and veg
etables which friend wife so thought
fully puts up in the season of plenty
that we may enjoy fresh things from
the garden the year round.
To be successful in canning fruit,
every housewife knows that air must
be prevented from entering the cans
after they are sealed. This too, is
the first principle Of the silo-air
MUST be eliminated.
Tn filling the silo certain amount
of air is entrappcd with the fodder.
The oxygen in this air is used TO start
the fermentation process and is quick
ly used up so that all air is quickly
eliminated from the mass If none is
permitted to enter from without. The
sugar in the forage is then attacked
and broken down into various acids
which have the most important func-
tion in preserving Of the ilagc. When
all the sugar is broken down the fer
mcntation process ceases and the silage
Is ready to feed,
Contrary 70 general impression,
there is no e-eat amount of alcohol
formed in the silo. The little there is
formed is most likely to appear when
the fodder is put into the silo very
&; cen. In any event it can be con-
t'ollcd and with the more mature for
rae practicill' eliminated, greatly 10
the bcttcrmcnt of the siagc. Evea
though snail per cent cf alcohol is
formed, the material required to DIS
till it is much greater than the amount
formed would indicate. The material
sc used is burned out and rendered
practically worthless us feed and
since the CATTLE eat Il along with the
rest of the ,ilsac, the relative value
Of the Stag, consumed is reduced with
commensurate reduced results.
When the acids are completely form
cd and additional air prevented from
entering the mass, they prevent the
growth of all putrefying bacteria which
rot or destroy canned stuff or meat.
From this brief discussion it is at
once apparent why It is that tho for
age crops which produce the most de-
sirable silage are those which, have in