410 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



mental Station, or by the many able writers on the subject from 

 every quarter. Shall, therefore, hold with you, an old-fashioned 

 Methodist experience meeting. 



To begin with, will say that the increasing prices of all kinds 

 of feed for dairy cows some five years ago, forced me to cast about 

 for something cheaper than could be raised at home, as well as 

 take the place and produce the results of the high-priced feeds. 

 Investigation along these lines caused me to come to the conclusion 

 that silage, if properly handled, would largely answer this very 

 important question. Taking the matter up with the president of 

 our dairy company, I was informed that in the production of high- 

 class milk, such as we were producing, the Walker-Gordon Depart- 

 ment of the dairy in the east had pronounced against this class of 

 feed, and had been forced to exclude it on account of the so-called 

 objectionable flavors emanating from feeding same. After some 

 persuasion I was granted permission, to at least give it a trial and 

 submit the product to rigid tests for flavor or other objectionable 

 features, and to refrain from using, if found at all objectionable. 

 A silo was erected and filled with corn September, 1904. Con- 

 trary to the expectation of our very careful dairy company, the 

 milk was not injured, but improved by the judicious feeding of 

 silage; the milk had a better color, showed greater vitality, or, to 

 use a more common expression, "standing up" better than before 

 its use. Not only was this the case, but the cows themselves were 

 easier to keep in condition, showing sleek and healthy condition, 

 and gave a better grade, and a more even flow of milk. This latter 

 being of great importance to the dairy company, in fact, gave bet- 

 ter results than rich concentrated feeds. We found that by feed- 

 ing an average of about 30 pounds of corn silage per cow, say 50 

 pounds, to heavy milkers and proportionately to those of lighter 

 flow, the feed bill was materially decreased, and with gratifying 

 results. Previous to its use the grain ration was about three 

 pounds corn, three pounds cotton seed meal, and six pounds bran, 

 hay (clover or alfalfa) ad libitum. After feeding silage, the ration 

 of grain was reduced 50 per cent., and the hay at least 25 per cent., 

 and after experiment proved these figures conservative. 



Beginning October 15th, to December 15th, 1907, I maintained 

 a splendid flow of milk on corn silage, and that most excellent of 

 all feeds for cows, alfalfa, all home grown, using no mill feed at 

 all. Commencing December 15th, I added to this ration three 

 pounds of bran and three pounds of cotton seed meal, and found 

 that, while this increased the output some, it was not more than 



