54 The Bulletin 



However, unless a crop can be siloed and preserved with a reasonable degree 

 of certainty, it is better to cure it under ordinary air dry conditions. 



A number of experiments and observations have been made to determine 

 the keeping qualities and feeding value of various green plants. With very 

 few exceptions the list of crops which can be successfully preserved or which 

 increases in value by siloing is surprisingly small compared with the varied 

 number of farm crops produced for feeding purposes. This may seem un- 

 fortunate, but considering the wide adaptability of corn, except in droughty 

 sections where sorghum and kafir corn are successfully used, it is not so 

 considered. It is not as necessary to perfect a method of siloing all crops 

 as it is to have one succulent feed to administer with other dry roughages 

 not successfully siloed. Live stock relish green, succulent feeds, but all can 

 not be fed in this condition. It would neither be economy nor wise from 

 the standpoint of the health of the animal. 



The general introduction of silage in the ration for farm live stock is uni- 

 versally recognized as an important factor by those capable of judging the 

 comparative merits of feeding stuffs for various farm animals. While the 

 practice of siloing crops is not as widespread as it should be, marked evi- 

 dences of its value among the better educated farmers will materially stimu- 

 late the use of some crops prepared in the form of silage. Corn is used for 

 this purpose more largely than any other crop, although under certain cli- 

 matic and soil conditions other crops are recognized to be of greater im- 

 portance. Wherever corn is successfully grown this crop takes the lead in 

 silage production. The reasons are threefold: First, a corn crop is palatable 

 to live stock at most any stage or normal growing condition. Second, an 

 acre of corn is easy to harvest, and it will go farther as a feed in the form 

 of silage than when in any other condition. Third, no other crop will make 

 as large a yield of silage per acre as will a corn crop, with the possible ex- 

 ception of sorghum or kafir corn. These facts are substantiated by experi- 

 ments and the practical experience of live stock farmers. Where other crops 

 have been tried it is usually the result of using for silage a crop which is 

 better adapted to soil or climatic conditions, therefore furnishing a more 

 dependable crop for silage producing purposes. 



The following extract from a letter written by Mr. W. F. Ward, of the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry, Washington, D. C, gives the consensus of opinion 

 of silage users throughout the South: 



"Corn has proved to be the best crop for silage throughout the Southern 

 States. Sorghum has been used to a certain extent, and has proved to be 

 very desirable for silage, although the feeding value is not as great as that 

 of corn silage. I prefer corn silage with some sorghum mixed with it to 

 straight corn silage, as cattle seem to relish it more. About two-thirds corn 

 and one-third sorghum makes exceedingly good silage. If sorghum is used, 

 the corn can be allowed to get a little more mature before being cut than if 

 the corn is put up alone. In Southern Texas sorghum is quite generally 

 grown for silage, and is planted early in the spring. By so doing they get 

 two crops of sorghum a year for the silo. In Florida and extreme Southern 

 Mississippi Japanese sugar cane has been used very satisfactorily as a silage 

 crop. This year the Enoch Lumber Co., of Fernwood, Miss., has filled twenty 

 silos with various crops, such as corn, sorghum, Japanese sugar cane, mixed 

 sorghum and corn, velvet beans, soy beans and various mixtures of these 

 crops. It will be interesting to note how the cattle relish the various kinds 

 of silage. In Central Texas kafir corn and milo maize are quite generally 

 used as silage crops, and have proved very satisfactory indeed for this pur- 

 pose." 



This information in general furnishes what we must accept as very reason- 

 able proof of the value of various crops for silage uses. In the South corn 

 is becoming an important crop, and with the increase of its growth it will 

 no doubt grow in popularity for silage production purposes. 



The main essentials of siloing a crop are, first, keeping qualities; second, 

 palatability; third, quantity; fourth, distribution of the crop for feeding pur- 

 poses throughout the year; and fifth, cost of preparation and converting into 

 silage. The latter item is one of the chief objections to such crops as soy 

 beans, cowpeas or velvet beans. Aside from their uncertain keeping quali- 

 ties, they are more expensive to silo than either corn, sorghum or kafir corn. 



