24 Li head ok Farmers' Institutes. 



SILOS. ENSILAGE AXD COTCX 



Question. — What shall I feed with ensilage and wheat straw 

 to rny cows, to balance the ration? 



Mr. Smith. — Wheat bran and oil meal. The straw and the 

 ensilage are both carbonaceous in their nature. To balance them, 

 there is nothing- better than the wheat bran and oil meal. 



Question. — At what age would you commence to feed ensilage 

 to a young heifer that is to be raised for a dairy cow, if she is fed 

 bran and clover or mixed hay? 



Mr. Walter. — We feed our calves, as soon as thev will eat any 

 roughage, a little ensilage. 



Mr. Smith. — A little succulent food is good for the calf, but for 

 first year it should have something that will promote growth. 

 Clover hay, wheat bran and roots make the best ration. 



Question. — What is the value of a ton of ensilage, compared 

 with hay? 



Mr. Van Wagenen. — Cornell has done some valuable work in 

 that line, having fed considerable of it. Their verdict is one-half 

 the value of hay. 



Question. — ■ What is Kaffir corn? 



Mr. Smith. — It is a variety best suited for arid regions, and pro- 

 duces its corn on the top of the stalk, as does broom corn. 



Question.* — Will ensilage, if fed to cows, loosen their teeth ? 



Mr. Gould. — I have two cow t s which have eaten ensilage 14 

 years, but their teeth are all right. 



Mr. Smith. — I have seen many old cows that had been fed 

 ensilage a number of years; none of them had been injured in any 

 way by it. Of course, ensilage may be so grown and put into the 

 silo as to become \cvy acid. Such ensilage would, no doubt, injure 

 a cow. But, when it is well grown, properly put up and properly 

 fed, no ill results will rise from feeding it. There is no truth in 

 the report. All this talk about corn ensilage loosening cows' teeth 

 and otherwise injuring them, is simply rot. Of course, one may 

 overfeed jusl before milking, and thus taint the milk. The same 

 would occur if one overfed his cows with clover. When com is 

 properly -Town, put into good tight silo and properly fed, it will 

 make as cattle food as will any other crop ever grown. 



Question. — What variety of corn docs Mr. Gould use for his 

 ilage '. 



