472 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



allow the corn to become as mature as possible and add water, rather 

 than to ensile it when too green. If it is dried out or has been severely 

 frozen, so that it does not feel moist in the silo, water should be added, 

 preferably at the blower. Then when the silo is filled the top of .the 

 silage should be thoroughly soaked with water. The addition of water 

 and thorough tramping during the filling help to prevent spoiling. Dur- 

 ing the filling the sides should be kept slightly higher than the level of 

 the center, and the silage should be tramped especially well near the 

 walls, in order that air spaces may not be left when the silage settles, 

 thus allowing the growth of mold. If the silo is air-tight and the filling 

 is conducted with care, there should be little if any moldy silage, except 

 at the top. The loss af the top may be lessened by covering with stover 

 or waste material, soaking down, and sowing to oats — or better still 

 by starting to feed the silage at once. In the latter case, the silo may 

 be refilled after the silage has settled, without having to throw out any 

 spoiled silage. 



The refilling after settling may be done with fodder which has dried 

 out in the shock. Of course this must be well soaked with water. The 

 entire silo may be refilled with dry fodder, after the first lot of silage is 

 fed, provided it is well packed and about an equal weight of water added. 

 The water should be added slowly, to give it an opportunity to soak into 

 the cut forage before running off. The silage resulting is not as palatable 

 or as aromatic as normal corn silage, but it is much more succulent and 

 is eaten more readily by cattle than is the dry fodder. Thus the useful- 

 ness of the silo may be extended over a much greater part of the year. 



Moldy silage is best not fed to any farm live stock. Mature cattle 

 sometimes seem to be able to eat moldy silage without harm, but horses 

 are peculiarly susceptible to it. 



IOWA AT THE INTERNATIONAL. 



HORSES AND CATTLE FROM IOWA FARMS WIN MANY HONORS AT 

 CHICAGO SHOW. 



FROM GREATER IOWA. 



Backward, turn backward, Oh Time in thy flight; 



Make me a boy again, just for one year; 

 Teach me good farming, and teach me aright, 



To raise a fat porker, to grow a prize steer. 



The old International got a dreadful scare a few days before the time 

 arrived to throw open the gates for the annual feast of fatness. Every- 

 thing was in apple-pie order. The house was swept, polished and tricked 

 out like sweet sixteen for graduation day. Clean sheets and the company 

 china were brought out. Chicago donned her starchiest togs and dragged 

 forth all the available cots in the city for the accommodation of the 

 country cousins. 



Then, like the proverbial thunder clap from an unclouded sky, the 

 wires flashed news of a most disquieting character. Down at Kansas City 



