FAEMEKS" INSTITUTES. 87 



Q. Is tliere mucli nutriment in the butt of corn stalks? 



J. W. Hutchins: A very little. 



E. A, Cronian : I do not remember the figures as to the proportion of the total 

 feeding value of the corn stalks that is below the ear. We are feeding a large number 

 of cows on our farm, and our plan is as follows: We take the corn from the field in 

 the fall and run through a shredder, putting the shredded stalks in a bay. This is 

 used for roughage for the dairy cows, with roots for succulent feed, I believe that 

 perhaps the only advantage of the silo is getting the corn off" early in the fall so that you 

 can sow wheat. We feed according to Bulletin 149 of our Experiment Station, nor 

 have we ever experienced any ill eft'ect from feediiig roots. We feed mangolds whole. 



Mr. Raven, Jackson County: My method of filling the silo has made me adopt 

 these rules: Never commence when the corn is wet. Never put a man in the silo the 

 first day. Let the silage lay up loose and heat and expel the air. When it is pounded 

 down you get sauerkraut instead of silage. I'he second day put a man in to keep 

 the silage level. When filled pack down well and put on two or three gallons of water 

 per square foot. Milk, then feed. If my cattle leave anything, it is the part of the 

 stalk just below the tassel. I believe that the silo has increased the capacity of my 

 farm to keep cattle four-fold. 



• Q. The gentleman makes the statement that he is keeping four times the cattle 

 on his farm that he could without the silo and still has feed left over. Does putting 

 corn into the silo make tlie feed four times as valuable? 



Mr. Raven: I will qualify my statement somewhat, but I believe I get three times- 

 the amoimt of feed on my farm that I have done heretofore, and this is largely because 

 I use the silo. The silo does not make the feed more valuable, but it prevents waste 

 and some way inspires a man to better practice in feeding. 



A. M. Welch: My method of covering the silo diflfers somewhat from that of Mr. 

 Raven. After the silo is filled I throw on plenty of water and then sow a half bushel 

 of oats. The oats germinate and form a blanket for the silage. It seems to me that 

 one of the chief uses of oil meal is to regulate the bowels. We do not need it so badly 

 therefore where we use either roots or silage. 



I feed my cows after milking at night and in the morning. I wish to submit some 

 facts in regard to some of my cows: 



SOME COW RECORDS. 



A. >I. WELCH, IONIA. 



Sleepy, record for December, 189S: ' 



Pounds.. 



December 1 to 4 — 6 milkings 136i 



December 4 to 11 — 14 milkings 323| 



December 11 to 18—14 milkings 328i 



December 18 to 25 — 14 milkings 324 



December 25 to January 1 — 14 milkings 295 



Thirty-one days or 62 milkings 1,3924- 



According to the Babcock test 62 pounds butter. 



This cow got to eating 18 pounds of mixed grain per day. B}- adding- 

 two pounds of corn meal to this cow's ration she has not lost one 

 pound €f flesh and has increased her milk from 1,202 pounds in No- 

 vefflber to 1,392 pounds in December. 



