88 



Slime nOO pounds of silage daily (or lOs.OOO pounds in six months). 

 A description of the last silo built at the college is given. 



Indian corn is stated to be " the great silage crop,'" and the dent 

 varieties judged to l)e more valuable than sweet corn. At this station 

 the corn is. sown with a corn planter, in drills 3 feet 9 inches apart, 12 

 quarts to the acre, and is thoroughly cultivated. May 10 to 20 is the 

 best time to j)lant in ^lichigan. The corn should not be harvested 

 until Avell matured. For the silo the stalks should be cut in half or 

 three-quarter inch lengths, and care should be taken to have the silage 

 evenly leveled and solidly packed. The author thinks the question of 

 weighing the silage is simply one of economy as to the saving of 

 silage. " It would often be as expensive to draw and cut the straw and 

 hay (necessary for a covering) as it would be to put on a moderate 

 weight if nuiterials are at hand." The experience of last winter indi- 

 cated that " good corn silage is more than a substitute for roots." 

 The cattle improved rapidly in flesh and general appearance when 

 silage was fed in place of the dry corn fodder and roots previously 

 given them. 



Yk'ics of J/icIi/(/(//i fnvm('r>> on xi]<Kje (pp. 15-31). — This includes :\ 

 list of questions relative to silos and silage addressed to prominent 

 farmers, and their replies, which are for the most part decidedly in 

 favor of the silo. 



Experiment iritJi siliu/e rs. rora hurrexfed hi the ordinavy u-ay 

 (pp. 31-37). — Three acres of "good silage corn'' were harvested 

 '• when nicely glazed." The ])roduct of one-half of this area was 

 "weighed alid put in a silo, that of the other half was shocked in the 

 ordinary way and husked when dry: the stalks were drawn to the 

 barn and the corn and cobs were ground. Ten cows, five in milk and 

 five dry, were fed dried corn stalks and silage alternately during four 

 periods of three weeks each. They thus had dried corn fodder for 

 six weeks and silage for six weeks. Bran and clover hay Avere fed 

 with both the dry fodder and the silage. The (piantities of hay were 

 the same throughout, but about 10 per cent more bran was fed Avith 

 the silage than with the dried corn. The materials were not anal- 

 yzed, and the data given do not show whether the amounts of silage 

 fed in the one case and of the fodder corn with corn-and-cob meal in 

 the other, represent the products of the same areas or contain cor- 

 responding quantities of actual nutrients. The conclusion is that 

 although nearly a quai'ter of the silage had spoiled, it lasted longer 

 than the stalks and corn-and-cob meal, and that the coavs gained more 

 weight on the silage than on the dried fodder and meal. Taking into 

 account the cost of handling, storing, husking, grinding, etc., the 

 silage Avas undoubtedly cheaper. 



Corn — Test of varieties to determine their value for sihiye (pp. 

 38^2). — TAvelve varieties Avere tested in the field, A severe drought 

 reduced the yield. Xotes on the habits of groAvth of each variety are 

 giA'en. The results are summarized in a tal)le, in Avhich the A'ields 



