TENTH^ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART Vm 321 



It will be seen that ten times more space is required for hay than en- 

 silage and I do not believe it possible to construct, even a cheap hay shed, 

 to say nothing of a barn, for the price required to store the same amount 

 o' ensilage. With the ordinary hay loft in a good dairy barn, the cost of 

 storage space would be three times that of the silo. 



The table also gives a comparison between the cost of harvesting corn 

 ensilage as compared with hay. It will be seen from these figures that 

 corn ensilage can be put up for nearly one-third the cost of harvesting the 

 hay. These figures do not allow for interest on money invested in ma- 

 chinery or storage. While hay is about three times richer in food ele- 

 ments, it is still an expensive roughage as compared with silage for 

 stock. ; ;i 



In summing up the subject, it is safe to state that until the feeder 

 can find a food equal to corn ensilage for even twice the cost, he had bet- 

 ter seriously consider the silo. Under present conditions, I believe that 

 one-fourth of all the farmers keeping stock in the corn belt, will find 

 the silo an economic equipment. An acre of corn put in the silo I value at 

 $55.00, while the same corn standing in the field and husked in the usual 

 manner, I value at $27.00. This is accounting for all cost of harvesting. 

 Then an acre in the silo is worth two in the field, or putting it another 

 way, the silo doubles the value of the corn crop. 



By using the silo to furnish carbohydrates and the legumes to furnish 

 the protein, we need have no fear of making a fair revenue from our 

 land, even though it increased in value three-fold and we receive the 

 same prices for our products. We are, indeed, a fortunate people to be 

 located in a country where we can produce these two great food ele- 

 ments so cheaply and easily. Now is the time for the farmer to study 

 the silo subject as he never did before. Get Silowise and don't be afraid 

 to be the first in your community to take up the enterprise. This is my 

 advice to the dairyman and stock farmer. I thank you. 



DISCUSSION. 



President: I am sure you all have listened with interest, as I 

 have, to this splendid presentation of the silo. It has been in such a 

 practical way that I feel you have gotten a great deal out of it. I 

 would like to see a full and thorough discussion. My first address 

 before the Iowa State Dairy Association w^as on this same thing 

 about twelve years ago, when I made a little talk before the farmers 

 institute at Des Moines. I predicted that the day would come when 

 silos would be as numerous as corn cribs in Iowa, and I believe it 

 is rapidly coming to pass. I want you, while we have Prof. Haecker 

 with us, to ask him all kinds of questions. 



Member : I would like to know the professor 's views on refilling 

 the silo — taking corn that has been cut and shocked and later in 

 the season how it would work to fill the silo with it. 

 21 



