The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-05-27
BLUE VALLEY FARM SERVICE
Does Silape Paw?

does Sliage ray!
The question of the practiicability
of the silo has been raised during the
past few years and, therefore, it is
time to ask the question, "Does ST.
lage pay?" The fact that silage has
been in general use for the past half
century and the fact that there are
now more than one-half million silos
i'm use in the United States would
seem to be a sufficient evidence that
this question might be answered in
the affirmative.
Undoubtedly, the principal reason
why there has been cessation in the
building of silos during the past few
years is first of all that the farmer
has been unable to add to his equip
ment because of the general market
conditions and secondly, there was
some doubt in the farmers mind as
to whether it was good business to
ensilo corn when it was selling at
$1.00 to $500 per bushel. At the
time of peak prices for corn many
silos were not filled for this reason.
There may be many factors that
would play in part in deciding the
question as to whether or not a silo
will be a profitable investment, but
the two principal factors that should
be given consideration are, first, that
a silo will enable one to increase the
live stock carrying capacity on the
farm and second, silage will furnish
a succulent ration during the winter
months which has been shown to be
a decided advantage in the produc-
ton of milk or meat.
The first reason mentioned is one
relating purely to efficient manage
men of the farm and live stock prob
lem. There is no question but that
many farmers have built silos simply
because others built them when they
had no use for thin in their feeding
operations. The greatest advantage
of a silo is that it furnishes a method
of preserving food that would other
wise go to waste. If a farmer grows
more coarse food than the live stock
will eat it is doubtful if a silo will
pay the best dividends under these
conditions. Under conditions where
the roughage supply is limited and a
full quota of live stock is kept the
silo is always practical.
There are other advantages of a
silo that can be given in support of
= the reason given above.
The storage capacity for roughage
can be obtained more cheaply in a
silo than in any other way. A ton of
hay will require 400 or more cubic
feet of storage space while ton of
silage can be stored in space of SO
cubic feet.
The cost of handling silage in feed
ing live stock is much less than when
dry fodder is handled in the ordinary
manner. There is saving in food
value of the corn plant of from rs to
40 per cent by ensiloing the crop.
Siage is more palatable than dry
fodder and hence cattle will eat more
of it.
The second reason given above as
an advantage of silage is that silage
furnishes a succulent ration during
the winter season. The crops are
made into silage before the plants are
entirely matured and at this stage
contain "a high per cent of moisture.
ANY food such as silage, grass, roots,
etc., that contain a high percentage
of water are classed as succulent
foods. Silage contains from 70 to
80 per cent of water. A succulent
food is particularly valuable in the
ration of dairy cattle because it helps
improve and stimulate the appetite.
A cow will eat more food when she
receives a succulent ration and in this
way milk production will be increased
to some extent.
The best way to learn the value of
q Inr1f ~ -, I.
-havior of cattle when they are turned
to pasture in the spring after they
have been on dry feed during the
winter months. First of all, the COW
has an intense craving for the green
juicy grass. The effects are noticed
almost at once by an increase in milk
flow as well as in the appearance of
the skin and hair of the animals.
Shortly after the cows are turned to
pasture they begin to shed their old
coat of hair and their appearance is
improved in a few days.
The dairyman who attempts to do
winter dairying finds that silage is the
cheapest and most practical succulent
feed he can use. Silage is used to fur
nish those elements that are furnish
ed by green grass which has value
above that of the ordinary nutrients
which are considered essential. The
dairyman who is most successful with
his COWS tries to initiate summer feed
ing conditions as nearly as possible in
the winter rations.
Many feeding experiments have
been conducted with cattle in which
silage was compared with dry fodder.
In nine different feeding trials at
various State Experiment Stations
where corn silage was compared with
dry fodder the results show that one
hundred pounds of dry matter in the
form of corn silage produced on the
average IA pounds more milk THAI
was produced from the same amount
of dry matter in the form of corn
fodder.
The most recent experiments re.
ported on this subject are from the
Kansas Experiment Station which
show that one acre of silaga is worth
from two to two and one-t}.ird times
as much as an acre of the same feed
used as slower.
Some farmers and dairynlen have
reported unfavorable results when
silage was fed and in some cases the