The Question Box. 31 



It soured and made a vinegary ensilage that injured both the cows 

 and their milk. Experiments in Ohio went to prove that, for best 

 ensilage, the corn should be cut about five days earlier than when 

 it is to be husked. 



Question. — At what length should corn be cut for ensilage, one- 

 half or one-fourth inch? 



Mr. Van Wagenen. — If the corn is cut to one- fourth if 

 lengths, it will pack more closely in the silo, and I incline to the 

 belief that the cows will eat the ensilage more closelv than thev will 

 if cut longer. 



Question. — Which contains the most food value, the ear or -the 

 cornstalk ? At what stage is its greatest food value ? 



Mr. Smith. — There is most food value in the stalk. When a 

 stalk of corn has been well grown and has one good ear on it, if 

 it be cut when the corn begins to glaze, it will contain its greatest 

 food value. The stalk is then worth more than is the ear, and 

 nearly 70 per cent, of that value is in that part of the stalk below 

 that ear. Therefore, if the ear is allowed fully to ripen, then the 

 stalk is cut, stocked and the ear is husked and the loss in feeding 

 value of the stalk is from 24 to 40 per cent. There is also a small 

 loss in corn when it is allowed fully to ripen and become hard. 

 If you feed a cow a well-balanced ration, seven-eighths will be dry 

 matter, and 70 per cent, digestible. The unit value of a stalk and 

 ear of corn, at the dent or glazing stage, is 45 for the ear, as against 

 55 for the stalk. 



Question. — Do ripe ears of corn lose much of their feeding 

 value when put in the silo ? 



Dr. Smead. — Corn ensilage, when fermentation has not gone too 

 far, is so far advanced in the stage of digestion. It requires about 

 three times as much energy to digest dry corn stalks or corn as it 

 does f digest ensilage. 



Question. — I had surplus corn enough, after filling my silo, 

 to last till January 15; would it be better to have fed out of 

 the silo until that time and then refilled it from this overplus 

 corn ? 



Dr. Smead. — If. by the question, it is meant to keep that corn 

 till after the first ensilage is fed, my opinion is that it would not 

 have had much value. It would have dried out too much. 



A Farmer.- — - 1 filled my silo about the first of November, and, 

 when it was half fed out, cut in the corn and stalks left over. I 

 wet them down, however. Results not as good as from the first 

 ensilage, but better than from the drv corn stalks. 



