FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 181 



age room, but it also preserves it in a condition for feeding to stock 

 far better than is possible by any other method of storage. 



It may be true that if corn fodder could be perfectly cured in a dry 

 state, without exposure to the weather, the results from feeding would 

 perhaps be quite equal to that of the same fodder preserved in a silo. 

 But it is not possible to do this, except in extraordinary cases where 

 there are no rains during the fall, or where there is but a small quantity 

 of the fodder to be cared for, and it can be put up in sheds or lofts where 

 it will not heat. But with careful handling and filling, corn in the silo 

 can be almost certainly brought to the time of feeding in good condition. 

 While it is more especially adapted to the feeding of dairy cows, it is 

 equally useful for all kinds of cattle, as well as for sheep, ^ome farmers 

 have fed it to horses, but others have tried it and declared that it has 

 proved hurtful to them. 



SILOS POPULAR WITH THOSE WHO HAVE THEM. 



Answers to inquiries sent out to those who were using silos in 1889 

 elicited very satisfactory returns. E. J. and J. R. Learned, of Port 

 Austin, said, "We are feeding forty-seven milch cows this winter, and 

 the flow of milk is nearly the same as from pasture." Merrill & Fifield, 

 of Bay City, wrote, "We never wintered our stock (pure bred Hereford 

 cattle) so cheaply or satisfactorily as we are doing this winter. Five 

 acres of com fed sixty head, one bushel each per day, for four months.-' 

 James M. Turner said, "Our silo holds 400 tons. We feed two bushels 

 to each cow per day, in two feeds, with bran. We think our cows give 

 more and better milk when fed ensilage than any other feed we have 

 tried." Mr. Turner still keeps some 300 cows, and is an enthusiast on the 

 value of the silo. Many other favorable replies were received, and so 

 far as I am aware, but few who have used the silo have abandoned its 

 use. The question arises, if the silo is so valuable, 



WHY ARE THERE NOT MORE IN THE STATE? 



In the first place, new methods are introduced slowly. At the beginning 

 there seemed to be some trouble to properly fill and cover the silo; people 

 doubted whether the ensilage would keep or not. It was soon demon- 

 strated that there was no trouble in keeping the silage if the silo walls 

 were comparatively air tight. It was also found that it was not neces- 

 sary to weight the silo, but simply cover it with something that would 

 make it as nearly impervious to air as possible. Again, at the beginning, 

 extravagant claims were made as to the feeding value of ensilage, 

 which prejudiced the farmers against it, because they very properly rea- 

 soned that it was not possible to add anything to the feeding value of 

 corn, by cutting it green and putting it in the silo. Again, it has been 

 thought by some that it was an expensive method of storing fodder. 

 This is not correct, because the same amount of fodder can be stored 

 with less expense in the silo than in an ordinary barn; that is, storage 

 room for twenty acres of corn in the silo will not cost as much to build as 

 to erect a barn or shed to hold the same amount. The expense of machin- 

 ery for filling it is also another item, and this is considerable unless a 



