The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-07-15

The Silo Important
in Dairyir1g
Clemson College, June go
Dairy farmers are realizing more
and more the place OF. the silo IT.
the successful feeding of dairy
cows: Business farmers and ex-
pertinent stations have found that
a silo not only increases the yearly
profits of the farm, but eliminates
many uncertainties Of livestock
raising.
Many products which if fed dry
have little feed value are convert
ed into splendid feed by a sile.
Sixty per, cent Of the feeding value
of "a good corn crop is in the ears
and 40 per cent in the stalks and
leaves. When the crop is a partial
failure, a much greater percent
age of the total nutrients is in the
reughage, ami in the event of pro-
tracted drought, the sroughage Of
ten contains practically all the food
elements. Putting the corn in the
crib, therefore. does not mean that
the crop is all harvested. Can the
farmer afford to waste 40 cents
out OF every dollar when by putting
his corn crop in the silo. he can
get its full value, 100 per cent: !:
No.
Silage has no equal as a succu-
lent and economical feed for dairy
cattle. It keeps up the flow OF
milk when pastures are short, and
during the winter. months it Eeeps
up milk production at less cost
than dry forage alone.
The Ohio Experiment Station
has shown that. a siIage ration pro-
duces butter fat for Al per cent
less cost than does a grain ration.
A silo is very economical storage
place, as ten tons of silage can be
ssorge in the same space as, one
ton Of hay.
The filing Of the silo can be
done in wet as well as in dry
weather. while other crops would
be entirely lost il harvested under
these conditions. If enough silage
is produced all the year round, the
pasture acreage can be reduced
and thus a larger acreage may be
used for cultivation.
Another great advantage OF the
use of silo is that the land upon
which silage is grown is cleared
early in the season and ready for
fall and winter crops, either;rye or
oats for winter pasture or oats
and yetch for hay.
The use of si1age during the
summer is particularly applicable
on high priced land. In pasture.
it requires one to three or more
acres a season for each COW. while
one acre of corn in the sllo VIII
supply succulent roughage for
several cows for a like period.
Soi1ing crops have been used
extensively in place OF or in addl-
ton to pasture. The great disad-
vantage in their use is that much
labor is required. for they must be
cut, and hauled every day. This IS
EXPENSIVE because only small areas
are cut at one time. 1t is neon
venient also because the field WORK
is pressing at that season OF the
year and both man and horse
power are needed badly in the
fields. Silage. on the other hand,
field work is not pressing. Besides.
is cut at one operation when the
weather conditions. may interfere
greatly with soiling system
whereas with the silo good sup
ply of sl,eeulent feed for the cows
is available regardless of weather
conditions. When it is not neces-
sary to. use the silo during the
summer. it can be sealed up ana
the silage preserved for winter use.
thus preventing any waste IN feed
1t will not pay to build a slio
for less than ten head of dairy
cows. but the farmer with at least
the minimum number should at
once plan to build silo. The dairy
farmer who in the fall has a slio
or two full of good corn or sorg-
hum silage. need not worry ABOUT
what his cows are goingfto eat.
Talking recently Of the practI-
calbility of Silo. a farmer OF
Dillon county said he thought 1t
was too expensive to buy the mate
rial necessary for filling a siio.
But why should every farmer need
to own this equipment? Let him
cooperate with his neighbors in
filling the silo as he does in mar
keting cotton and tobacco. As
many as a dozen dairymen can own
Jointly silage cutter and neces-
sary equipment at very little cost
to each.
Now is the time of the year to
think about building a silo.
Most footprints on the sands Of