Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-09-21
Relative Food Value

The securing of proper winter fee
for live stock, particularly on tn
prairie farm, is of especial importanc
to every-farmer contemplating tn
handling of any number of farm ami
mails, especially cattle.
AS stated in previous articles, an,
crop grown may be put into the silo
and its feeding value and succulenc,
preserved in the best possible man
ner. Well preserved silage cores
ponds more nearly with good pasture
grass than does any other food stuff
The only part lacking in corn silage is
a slight difference in the heterogeneous
or protein, contents, which may be
readily made up by the use of a small
amount of alfalfa or sweet clover hay
1t is impossible by any form Of curing
TO preserve, especially corn fodder, as
does the silo. The silo affords the
means of adding greatly to the feed
ing value of any forage which may
be put into the silo.
Short Summers and Long Winters
Make Silos Essential
There is no question but that the
Montana farmers must grow corn for
the benefit derived from a cultivated
crop, and owing to the short growing
season, and the possibility of early
frost there is danger Of great loss in
the value Of this crop, if some means
of preserving the feeding value of this
crop, such as the silo affords, is not
available. Corn, or other crops, al
though frosted before entirely ma
tured, if sliced Immediately make a
much better feed and much less loss
be sustained than in handling them in
any other way. This has been proven
out in a number of instances. James
ID. McGregor, a prominent farmer and
cattle raiser of Brandon, Manitoba,
filled his silos with frosted barley,
and fed it out with splendid success.
Where a silo is available, and the
precaution is taken to fill it, even with
immature frosted corn, farmers real
ize that they secure much greater
benefits from their crops than other
wise would be possible. II it were pos
sible that all the corn in the northwest
could be sliced promptly after the
early frosts, there is no question but
that It would result in increasing the
feeding value several times. There is
absolutely no doubt but hat it would
add greatly to the pleasure in feeding
the stock to have corn in the silo,
rather than in the shock after the
heavy snowsAeome.l which practically
cover everything that is not under
roof. Mining corr fodder is no pleas
ure.
The.intelligent use Of the silo in this
region viii add millions of dollars to
the value of crops which are now often
wasted, and that could be turned into
high priced meat, or butter fat.
The Silo Economical for Storing Feed
The silo furnishes the means for
storing in a small space, a large
amount of valuable feed, which is ac-
cessible at all times, and is not sub
ject to damage by weather. 1t would
require perhaps ten times the space
to store an equal feeding value of hay
fodder. Consequently, the silo fur
a very economical storage
space for roughage-
Silage Furnishes. a Uniform Feed
There is perhapSno other e of
storing feed that will furnish so uni
form a product throughout the season
will the silo. There will of course
be variation due to the maturity of the
corn, or other crops that are put into
the silo, but it can be expected that it