82 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Question: How many acres of com did you raise to go into 

 this silage ? 



Mr. Van Pelt : As I said before, in order to gain a profit or 

 keep many cows on so small a farm, it would be necessary to soil it 

 the year around. In calculating m}^ figures, I allowed ten acres 

 for pasture for the cows; then in order to feed thirty pounds of 

 silage, will require about 250 tons of silage a year. The corn which 

 we raise as a rule will run twelve to fifteen tons of silage per acre. 

 But with so many cows as 50 on so small acreage of ground, where 

 the manure is returned to the farm each year, it will be possible to 

 raise a good deal larger tonnage. We know of some who are rais- 

 ing 25 tons of silage to the acre. Figuring 25 tons, you see it only 

 takes 10 acres to suppty the 250 tons. Then I also figured it was 

 possible to raise most of the com in the way of concentrates, by 

 balancing up this com with the 30 tons of concentrated protein 

 feeds, and also supplying protein with the clover necessarily used 

 in crop rotation, and also having from ten to fifteen tons of alfalfa 

 hay, it would be possible to supply not only the roughage, but a 

 balanced ration. 



Question : Do you expect to raise it on the average Iowa farm ? 



Mr. Van Pelt: I would not expect to raise it on the average 

 Iowa farm. 



Question: How would you cure it? 



Mr. Van Pelt : That is quite a subject for the Iowa farmer, 

 because of climatic conditions. There is a way, however, it can be 

 cured, even in seasons, such as we have had the past year. By 

 cutting in the morning and allowing it to cure until noon or slightly 

 afternoon, then shocking it up, allowing it to remain under that 

 cover for a week or ten days. I am satisfied there is no better way 

 on earth to make clover hay or alfalfa hay. The finest hay I ever 

 fed or saw was alfalfa hay raised in Colorado and cured by this 

 same method — cut in the morning and in the afternoon cocked up, 

 and then after a week it was baled and shipped east; when it was 

 taken out of the bale it was just as green and nice as could be. 



Question : On the average farm, would it be economical to put 

 that expense on curing this hay ? 



Mr. Van Pelt : Not on an average farm ; but where a man has 

 devoted all his efforts on such a farm, in the manner I have indi- 

 cated, it will be possible for him to put up his hay in that way. 



