496 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Pasturing is an expensive method of feeding cattle and the summer 

 silo is sure to come into very general use. The cost of our barns may be 

 very much reduced if the silo is built in connection, as there will not be 

 the necessity for large hay mows. 



The haying season is cut short, the time of husking much reduced, 

 the feed is all under cover. 



The advantages of a silo so far out number the disadvantages that 

 I will not try to enumerate them here. 



President: This question of silage is one of very great im- 

 portance to the average dairy farmer and we have about ten 

 minutes in which to discuss it. If anyone has questions, Mr. 

 Barney will be glad to answer them. 



Me. Hubbard: How many tons of silage can you get from 

 an acre of corn ? 



Barney : An average year about twelve tons. 



Hubbard : How much silage do you feed a day ? 



Barney : About forty pounds. 



Anderson : That is to a cow ? 



Barney: Yes, sir. 



Mr. Wright: I would like to know what proportion of the 

 ration is ensilage ? 



Barney: It depends somewhat on the cow you are feeding 

 to. I feed with about forty pounds of silage, ten pounds of timothy 

 or clover, about four pounds of oats and four of bran, and if I 

 have oil meal I feed a little of that — something near a pound. 



Wright : Then according to your figures an acre of ensilage 

 is worth about four acres of the corn. 



Barney : I think so for dairy cows, especially as far as young 

 stock is concerned ; I use it in the place of corn, and I find they 

 do as well on it as they do on whole oats or oats and corn, and 

 I think for dairy stock it is preferable to any other feed. Their 

 coats will look smoother. I have heard the objection that when cattle 

 fed on it were turned out they were more subject to the chill 

 winds than if fed some other food. I differ. I think the average 

 dairyman has a pretty warm barn and when you turn the cattle out 

 they are naturally chilly because they have been in a warm place 

 instead of on account of the feed they have been fed on. 



