Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-09-07
Pit or Trench SiIO
BY j. u. HANEf, Agricultural Extension Department
International Harvester COMPANY.

At the present time there is perhaps
no farm improvement being considered
by more farmers, than the silo. 1t is
also true that the subject of silos-and
silage is one which to many is very
complicated and vague. In many in
stances in the northwest there are
good reasons for the consideration of
this really important farm improve
ment.
It is realized that there must be a
change from the strictly one-crop sys-
TEN to a more diversified one. That
such a change is necessary there are
very few who will not admit. The
.3-year average of wheat without the
effect of crop rotation, on the /. II. c..
farm, was II bushels per acre. After
the rotation became effective, the five
year average was "a bushels, and four
of these years averaged nearly 80
bushels. If grain farming is to be
made profitable, it will be because the
crops are rotated, moisture and fertH-
ity conserved, which means that more
stock must be kept on the farms.
Where stock is kept, the farming is
carried on with less difficulty because
of the fact that the work is more
evenly distributed throughout the year
and the proper condition of the soil is
more easily maintained.
When the silo is considered, it will
generally mean that corn will be
grown for the purpose of filling the
silo, which will mean a cultivated crop
% destroy weeds and conserve mois-
.ure. That such a practice is valuable
s proven by the fact that old fields
TO corn and given good cult
when put back into wheat will
,ften nearly double their former yield.
Many farmers resort to summer fallow
o secur this same benefit. Growing
/ crop of corn accomplishes the same
'esults as summer following, and the
,orn, when intelligently used, is a pro-
crop. \
A silo full of good corn, and alfalfa ,
n sweet clover hay in the barn will /,
make it possible to keep a bunch of
i've stock on every farm, and return to !
he soil a good portion of the fertility :
emoved, as we'll as active organic !
which will further aid in main :
the productiveness of the soil. !
The Silo Stands for Conservation. :
The present era will be considered as d
ne of unprecedented agricultural pro- I
'ress. During the past fifty years
Practically all of our farm machinery
as been developed and brought into :
Everywhere we are hearing the .
ak of conservation. The government :
making every effort toSconserve our :
atural forests, water powers, coal, .
etroleum, etc. +
With the farmer the question must q
ot be alone how much he can raise,
how much Of this he can return =
0 the soil as working capital. This 7
lea of conserving farm resources has !,
the stock and dairy localities !,
{ our country with silos, from Maine a
Oregon, and from Canada to the
'ulf, until a recent writer put it "A 3
God dairy or stock community can u
e judged by the number of silos on 4
ne horizon, just as an oil district can a
e known by the number of derricks a.
/ use"
The silo in the strictest sense of the !,
ord, is a c~onservator of farm q
1t has been shown in many q
apartments that practically 40 per i
INT of the value of the corr crop is .,
asted when the stalks are left in the q,
ED. 1t is also known by all who d
ed corr fodder that there is almost y,
} per cent waste in feeding this for n
ye, and when all the crops grown on "
lie farm are sold, and not fed, the h,
nd eventually becomes depleted. IL
he Silo Essential to the Northwest.
There is perhaps no region where to
silo will prove more valuable than in
the northern edge of the Corn Belt. &C
here is no question but that this CT
,gion- will, in the future, produce-aLcr
reat many more cattle than it ever 81
lie