722 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



a Chlrty-six foot silo contains about 8.9 pounds of dry matter. From 

 this it is evident tliat a cubic foot of space in a silo of proper depth wil) 

 hold more than twice as much dry matter as the corresponding space 

 in a mow. It is also true that on the average a larger amount of diges- 

 tible feed can be obtained from an acre in the form of silage than in 

 any other way at like expense. Making com into silage is then both an 

 economical and compact method of storing feed. 



Much damage has been done to the cause of silage by the extrava- 

 gent claims of its over-enthusiastic friends. Although corn silage is 

 not a complete and balanced ration in itself, it is so well relished that 

 large quantities are consumed. Being a succulent feed, it tends to heavy 

 milk production, and should be given an important place in the ration 

 of dairy cows It has proved an important factor in steer feeding as 

 v/ell as in milk production, but a steer cannot be finished on silage alone, 

 any more than a cow can produce her best yield of milk on such a ration. 

 To obtain tne most economical returns, some dry roughage should be fed 

 in connection with silage, and a legume hay, as alfalfa, clover, or 

 cowpeas, is the best feed for this purpose, particularly for young stock 

 and cows. Economical milk con be produced irom these feeds without 

 the addition of grain, if the cows are not giving more than two gallons 

 of milk a day, providing the corn was well eared and both the silage 

 and the legume hay are of excelent quality. Cows giving a larger yield 

 must have grain added to their ration. 



VALUE OF SILAGE IN PLACE OF SOILIXG. 



A pasture will carry much more stock during spring, early summer, 

 and fall, than it will through the hot, dry weather of midsummer. By 

 helping the pasture out at this season with partial soiling, the cattle 

 not only have better feed during this critical period, but more stock can 

 be carried on a given area than oy pasturing alone. As k.nd increases 

 in value and farming becomes more extensive, there is greater need for 

 soiling, and the most satisfactory method of providing a substitute is 

 by means of the silo. It requires too much labor to cut green crops every 

 day and haul them to the cows, and besides there is necessarily a great 

 loss in being obliged to feed the crops before they are fully mature and 

 after they are over-ripe. 



No crop furnishes more feed to the acre than corn, and with the silo 

 it can be used for soiling, thus permitting the whole crop to be 

 harvested when at the right stage of maturity and fed when needed, sav- 

 ing both feed and labor. 



CROPS TO BAISE FOE THE SILO. 



In Illinois corn seems to be the best single crop for the silo. It not 

 only produces a large quantity of nutritious feed that is easily placed 

 in the silo, but is is of such a nature as to pack readily and keep well. 

 The large southern varieties of ensilage corn, which give enormous yields 

 in tons pet acre, have been recommended for silage; but such varieties 

 do hot produce much grain and the total nutrients are usually less than 



