248 



in the silage] la every iustauce a coasiilerably larger quantity of hay was consumed 

 during the beet-feeding than during the silage-feeding periods. » * * The natural 

 downward tendency of the milk flow was in almost every case accelerated by a 

 rapidly falling live weight, and retarded or even reversed, when the live weight 

 became stationary .)r rising, and even the temporary flunctuations in live weight 

 were, iu many cases, accompanied by similar fluctuations iu milk flow. Evidently 

 the causes which operate to increase the milk flow must have a similar effect upon 

 the live weight, and it is certainly legitimate to give a value to this increase in live 

 weight in calculating the milk-prodacing value of a fodder ; for under good manage- 

 ment such increase will ultimately be utilized, either in prolonging the milk flow 

 or in fitting the animal for the butcher's block. 



Eeference is made to trials iu 1879 and 1889 iu which beets have been 

 compared in alternate periods with other feeds. They indicate " that 

 in all these tests the beets hav^e caused an increased consumption of 

 dry matter, and that the feediug of beets has in each case been followed 

 by an increased How of milk." 



"In respect to the production of flesh, the results of the experiments 

 of 1889 and 1890 are at variance, as in the former the silage seemed to 

 have a greater tendency to increase the live weight than the beets." 

 This difference is explained, partially at least, by the fact that the corn 

 used for silage in the experiment in 1889 was more mature and con- 

 tained a larger proportion of grain than that used in 1890. 



BigestibiUty of beets and silage. — Recent investigations at the Pennsyl- 

 vania and Wisconsin Stations are cited, which indicate that from 62 to 

 63 per cent of the dry matter of corn silage is digestible; while '-other 

 experiments have indicated that the dry matter of beets and other 

 similar roots is [nearly] all digestible." Notwithstanding this fact, the 

 . cows ate more dry matter while feeding on beets; " hence we must con- 

 clude that the beets exercised a more favorable influence upon the gen- 

 eral digestion and appetite of the cows than the silage." 



Relative cost of dry matter in beets and silage. — The yield of corn 

 used for silage iu 1889 on 36 acres of land averaged 16.25 tons per acre. 

 It is believed, in view of observations made on a silo filled with clover 

 in 1889, that the total loss or shrinkage in keeping was about 16 per 

 cent. This would give 13.6 tons of silage containing 7,072 pounds of 

 dry matter per acre. With the same cost 60 bushels of shelled corn 

 per acre could have been raised, worth iu the field $12, or with fodder 

 $15. The actual cost of cutting, hauling more than one half mile, and 

 storing the corn in the silo was $1.47 per ton; with the shorter dis- 

 tance and ordinary farm wages this cost might be reduced to $1 per 

 ton, or $10.25 per acre, making the total cost of the crop iu the silo 

 $31.25 per acre. The cost of producing and harvesting 1 acre of beets, 

 taking rental of laud into account, is estimated at $37.75, and the yield, 

 based on the average yield of the farm for eleven years past, at 16 tons 

 per acre. Thus the cured silage in the silo would cost $2.30, and the 

 beets in the cellar $2.36 per ton. It is thought, however, that the beets 

 might be produced at $2 per ton in the cellar. 



