The Sneedville news. (Sneedville, Tenn.) 191?-19??, 1921-04-29
More Cattle Can Be Fed If Win.
ter Feed Problem Is Solved
In This Way e
GOOD SILO PAYS FOR ITSELF
The silo Uses Al Of the Corn Plant.
While Common Methods of Harvest
ing the Crop Cause a Loss of
Third Of Its Food Value.
by l.. \. Richardson, Division Of tx
tension, University of Tennessee,
Knoyyillp1

knoyville)
In maintaining system Of live
stock farming, The question of winter
feed presents a big problem 10 many
Tennessee farmers. Ii is common in
every section of the state 10 hear the
statement from farmers thar, Il would
like 10 keep more cattle were I able 10
solve the winter f. i problem on my
farm" II is true. The carrying ca-
pacity ~ many farmers in summer on
pasture is much greater than the MUM
Der Of cattle which may be- fed thrd
the winter.
Hundreds of farmers in the state
are solv'.s This very problem 10 their
own distraction. The solution in this
s'atc, rs well as clscw here, comes by
the addition of a silo to the farm
equipment. Silage. next 10 blue grass,
Is The cheapest and most economical
ration the Tennessee farmer can pro-
vide There are three factors which
control the cost Of Ibis cheap succu-
lent feed: The cost of raising The crop,
the tonnage per acre, and the cost Of
fillng the Silo. or course, the first
two factors of raising the crop and
harvesting have To be considered, re-
gardless of the disposition of the crop.
However. the third factor and this
Is the one which ScHrcs so many farm
crs when considering the building of
silo, il not So great, after all. The
cost Of storing the crop In the silo,
rs compared To harvesting and storing
:hc corn and fodder, varies little. rs
Inmates have been complied on The
acre basis, under normal labor condi-
in cost is from fifty cents 10 one dol
lar. The assembling Of the labor To 10
the iab all at once is The real problem,
aud moi ~ much the cost
Another thing worth consideration
In The fact that the whole corn ptlnt
IL used According Ia the common
practice on many farms from 20 to b
per cent OF the feeding value Of tie
corn plant Is conserved. Not only the
feeding value of the grain Itself Is pre-
served. hut also the stalk and foliage.
Methods of handling the slower, when
n il not put in the silo. causes great
loss. In feeding the fodder or stOvcr,
the an,.nal is unable To consume the
stalk. and In addition much Of tho
foliage skaters AM Is thus wasted.
The tonnage Of forage per acre must
naturally be taken into consideration.
An acre of corn converted into silage
will feed two and one half times far
th,r shan when fed on dry form. Most
ANY Tennessee land will produce from
X Ia ~ toms of silagr Thus, not only
is there an increased tonnage Of feed
per acre. hut also the carrying ca
Iacity of an acre is one and one-half
times greater
~ experience. every farmer knows
that corn. when II has reached ma
turitN for harvest. makes n good feed
for livestock The silo renders IL poe
sihlc To- preserve the plant when II has
Reached us highest form 81 nutritivs
value. Silagc ia its relationship 10
other feeds and rnughag's bears the
same position ~ canned vegetables TO
nilcr food ga the table. Thus. the
plant remain, IN form which is not
only nutritious. hut also succulent and
thoroly ralatahlc. Experience has
taught the farmer that animals do
hest on pasture, hcice. the nearer
pasture conditions can be initiated
during the winter feeding periods the
better results farmers win secure.
Frequently the question arises that
cattle wiutcrcd IN Silagc do not make
good gains on pasture The Virginia
aud West Virginia experiment sta
iions have proven that tho annual gain
~ cattle wiuicrcd on silage aud finish
ed On pasture is greater and moro
economical than that Of those winter
cd on other ruughageS. and finished ON
grass Like grass. Silagc is laxative,
cooling. and Succulcni Hence. the
change from silage 10 grass may he
made with rs. disturbance 10 the III
Ecsiive systems and consequently no
loss In weight
Another important feature TO be
taken into consideration on the farm
is the space used II storing roughage
Slage can hc stored in lcsS space than
any other form OF roughage A cubic
foot OF hay In the now weighs about
g pounds, contains approximately -
pounds Of dry mstter An average
cubic foot OF coru Silagr from 3O-foot
silo weighs ahoui ~ 4 pounds. will con-
tain loA pounds OF dry matter. or
nearly two and one half times AZ
much Dry corn fodder fskes M more
SPACE per pound than hsy Thus. the
silo economies in building space tor
the storage Of feed