588 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



feed. It is a good appetizer, a good stimulant and at the same time acts 

 as a regulator. What we look for is a "well-doer" in a feed lot, and my 

 experience has 'been that silage is the feed that reaches the vital spot and 

 converts some stubborn animals into prize winners on the block. 



Of course we all have different opinions as to what we call "fat." Some 

 think their cattle fat when they are only warmed up. Quality is the 

 first thing to consider, and when we select animals of quality and put 

 them in the feed-lot, and give them plenty of silage, with corn as a 

 side dish, we are not very liable to be disappointed. 



I am not here to say what kind of a silo a man should put up — that is 

 a matter of personal choice, but I will give my opinion as to the size. If 

 I were to put up another it would not be more than sixteen feet in diam- 

 eter. If I wanted more silage I would go higher. A silo 16-feet in diam- 

 eter measures four tons to the foot. 



I have a silo 18 x 30 with 32-inch pit. It holds about one hundred 

 and sixty tons. Last year I cut and put in 115 rows, 84 rods long, and 

 had it full. This year I plan to plant my corn so nine acres will fill it. 

 I will plant five and six grains in a hill, so as to get good fodder. I 

 prefer corn of a late variety, as it produces more blades and grows 

 taller than earlier corn, and in addition is more adapted to silage. 



If a man is planning to put up a silo, he should plan so he can get 

 the most off an acre, keeping in mind the fact that quality is as important 

 as quantity. The silo is not an experiment — it is a certainty, and 

 has come to stay. 



All feeders take a pride in having their stock look better than the 

 other fellow's, but there is small chance for the man who adheres to the 

 old method of feeding. The silo man will get there ahead of the old 

 methods and will reap his reward in reaching market earlier, with better 

 conditioned stock, and receive the cream of the top price. 



I invite you to come and inspect my silo — see for yourselves — and then 

 act on your own judgment. 



SILAGE, ITS VALUE, AND HOW TO FEED. 



BEFORE HARRISON COUNTY FARMERS INSTITUTE, BY C. F, LE VALLEY, LOGAN, IOWA. 



I suppose we all know what ensilage is, but as that is part of the ques- 

 tion, will say, that in the corn-belt ensilage is made almost entirely of 

 corn, cut when the grain is about matured, but while the stalk and blades 

 are yet green. It is run through a cutting machine which cuts it very 

 fine about % to y 2 inch in length. The finer it is cut, the more closely it 

 packs in the silo. This tends to exclude the air, which adds to its keep- 

 ing qualities. 



The corn should be cut when the husk commences to turn yellow, when 

 if the crop is maturing properly, the stalk and blades are still green. 



If help is available by all means keep the corn-binder going while filling 

 the silo, as this brings the corn in fresh and green and makes much 

 better silage. If for any reason the crop gets too dry, you can add moisture. 

 I found a very good way was to place a barrel beside the cutter with a 



