4M IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



In the test two years ago at Illino's, five lots of sixteen wether lamhs 

 each were selected and silage fed in different quantities to each lot. An- 

 other lot was fed entirely on clover hay and corn. In every case the lambs 

 having silage in their ration made greater and more economical gains 

 than these fed on corn and clover, and in every case also the lambs fed 

 the gT:eatest amount of silage made the best gains. 



There is one noticeable factor in this experiment which is very important. 

 That is the general increase made in feeding; a sudden increase in feeding 

 has been detrimental in many instances. I would like to illustrate this 

 by using the data from that college. A fourteen-day preliminary period, 

 followed by four twenty-eight-day periods, was for shelled corn 0.29. 0.80, 

 1.07, 1.36 and 1 61 pounds respectively. Corn silage. 0.56. 1.19, 2.03, 2.58, 

 and 2.62 Clover hay, 1.33,- 1.04, 0.80. 0.63 and 0.38. The gains were great- 

 est where the most corn silage was fed. Similar work has been carried 

 on at Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. 



These efforts are particularly valuable, because they have been long peri- 

 ods, demonstrating fully that there are no ill effects on the system of the 

 lamb and mature sheep, which we find claimed many times by people 

 who are not feeding silage mature. 



The Indiana station recently stated that silage was an excellent feed 

 for sheep being fattened for slaughter, also for pregnant ewes and ewes 

 after lambing. This statement coroborates the experience of many a 

 practical sheep breeder. 



Our experience in feeding silage to horses has been similar to that of 

 sheep. The poor results from feeding sour, immature silage was appar- 

 ent. Since the first year or two we have been feeding a liberal quantity 

 to our work horses, brood mares and growing colts with good results. 

 We have never fed heavily to growing colts or brood mares. However, 

 some of our most progressive farmers have been feeding as h'gh as 

 thirty pounds per day to mares suckling colts, and others have fed silage 

 and oats as an entire ration. 



It has been fully proven that moldy silage is dangerous. Pearson, of 

 Pennsylvania, in investigating an outbreak where five horses had died, 

 found moldy silage had been fed, causing the deaths. Wing also reports 

 the death of eight horses feeding on moldy silage. We see that, in view 

 of such troubles, silage should be fed to horses only where sound intel- 

 ligence Is used. 



Our conclusion is that silage is one of the most economical and suc- 

 cessful feeds for sheep and horses, when it is made rrom well-matured 

 and properly-siloed corn, and may be fed in almost unlimited quantities. 



PRACTICAL METHODS OF DISINFECTING STABLES. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



(Farmers' Bulletin 480) 



BY OEOnOE W. POPR. D. V. S., 



Veterinary inspector. Quarantine Division, Bureau of Animal Industry. 

 In the work of the Bureau of Animal Industry in dealing with in- 

 fectious diseases of live stock It has been found that the average stock- 



