THE EFFECT OF RYE AND ENSILAGE ON THE 



YIELD OF MILK. 



The ensilage question is one of some interest to all of the 

 farmers of Alabama, it is of especial interest to those few 

 who are thinking of building silos. That ensilage is a good 

 feed is beyond all question; whether or not it pays even in 

 cold climates seems from the best evidence to depend on 

 "Local circumstances and seasonal peculiarities." 



In Bulletin number 5, second series, volume 3, of the Ohio 

 Experiment Station, after reviewing the work of nine other 

 stations, the following conclusions are drawn: "While the 

 results of these experiments are somewhat contradictory, 

 those which bear evidence of the greatest thoroughness 

 agree in indicating that there is practically no difference be- 

 tween the feeding values of a given quantity of corn, cured 

 as ensilage, and an equivalent quantity cured as dry fodder, 

 provided equally good husbandry has been used in both 

 cases. 



Whether corn may be cured and preserved more economi- 

 cally by one process or the other depends largely upon local 

 circumstances and seasonal peculiarities." 



The above quotation gives the standing of the silo ques- 

 tion in the northern States where ensilage is most used ; what 

 the standing may be in Alabama and other States of the 

 same latitude where green feed can be had the whole year 

 round without silos, remains to be settled by experiment. 



GREEN RYE AS OPPOSED TO ENSILAGE. 



Last winter some simple experiments on Rye and Ensi- 

 lage were conducted on this station, the object being to com- 

 pare the effect of these two feeds on the yield of milk. 



