THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. I?4H 



iments several times repeated have shown that corn silage is asi effective 

 with the dairy cow as the mangel wurzel or the turnip. Indeed, if there 

 is any superiority between roots and silage made from Indian corn it is 

 in favor of the silage. The steer feeder has in some way deluded him«< if 

 In the past with the thought that while silage might be satisfactory for 

 the dairy cow, the steer for some reason needed something different. Now 

 a little reflection should show us that if silage is such a good thing for 

 the dairy cow giving milk and for her calf after it has become} a fe\* 

 months old, and for growing heifers, then it ought to be a pretty good 

 thing for cows of the beef breeds suckling their young, for young stock 

 of the beef breeds and finally for fattening steers. 



"To show that roots are not superior to corn silage for steer feeding 

 let me here introduce the results of an experiment at the Ontario Agii 

 cultural College, conducted by Professor Day. A bunch of twelve steers 

 was divided into two groups of six each. One was fed corn silage, hay 

 and meal; the other roots, hay and meal. The roots consisted of turnips 

 and mangels. The meal and hay allowances were alike for both lots 

 The same amount of silage was fed as roots. Between the dates of No- 

 vember 30 and April 26 the six steers fed silage gained 1,464 pounds, whil 

 the six steers fed roots gained 1,407. Day concludes his report with the 

 following points: 



" 'The steers receiving silage nrade slightly larger gains than those 

 receiving roots. It required less dry matter to produce a pound of in- 

 crease in weight in the case of the silage«fed steers than in the case of 

 the root fed steers. In this experiment, therefore, corn silage scored a 

 decided advantage over roots." 



"Let us now consider the matter in a somewhat general way. Firsl 

 we come to the breeders of pure bred-stock. Such must have their breed- 

 ing cows in good flesh and yielding an abundance of milk for the nourish- 

 ment, of their young. A beef cow should be a good milker, the same as a 

 dairy cow. Now, if silage is such an excellent food for the dairy cow. 

 it must be likewise valuable for the cow of the beef breeds when suckling 

 her calf and so long as the production of milk is necessary. A calf should 

 have succulent feed in winter if it is to advance the most rapidly. With 

 such animals the flesh should be soft and yielding, and not dense and 

 hard, the skin pliable and the coat soft and silky. Succulent feed tends to 

 this oondition. Corn silage is a succulent feed, and it is as much relished 

 by cattle as are roots. Corn silage will do all for the beef bred cow ano 

 tor young animals that roots will accomplish. 



"Then for the fattening steer. Under ordinary conditions steers now 

 come into the feed lot without having previously received grain, and from 

 the pasture lands. The change to the dry feed lot, with its bunk and feed 

 rack: Is sudden and always more or less damraging. Heretofore we ha\ r e 

 thought that there was little or no remedy for this condition. The feeder 

 has been forced to follow the dangerous and expensive practice whether 

 he would or not. With corn silage he has a perfect substitute for roots. 

 Lewrdng the p-asture and coming to the feed lot, the steer finds before him 



