ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 589 



small pipe attached and by keeping it filled with water a small stream 

 was thrown into the fan-house from where it was blown up the elevator 

 with the silage, thoroughly wetting it. This moisture is necessary, for 

 without it the silage would dry out and burn. 



As to its value, that is a pretty hard proposition to explain to a person 

 who has not had some knowledge or experience with it, for they won't 

 believe you. If they did they would not only put up one silo, but. two. 



When you consider it is possible to raise 15 to 18 tons of corn to the 

 acre, and that cattle will eat every pound of it readily and thrive on it, 

 you can see what the possibilities are with the silo. This is the only way 

 you can prepare the entire crop so as to enable the stock to utilize all of 

 it. This is why corn is the most economical crop to put in the silo. 

 With 40 acres of land and two silos one half the land in corn and the rest 

 in alfalfa, would enable you to feed 50 head of steers during the year 

 and add 200 lbs. to each one in weight. If you wanted to add a little 

 gluten, oil or cotton-seed meal, you could increase this gain from 50 to 

 100 lbs. per head. The possibilities with a herd of dairy cows w § ould be 

 still greater as the price of the product is more stable. Ten acres of 

 medium corn put in the silo will feed 35 head of ordinary farm cattle 

 six months, and they will go onto grass in better condition than when 

 they came off in the fall. Comparing it in value with alfalfa hay, I would 

 prefer 40 lbs. silage to 15 lbs. hay for a daily ration per head. Con- 

 sidering the yield, this would make an acre of silage about twice the 

 value of alfalfa hay. 



In building a silo, you should determine the size, with reference to 

 the amount of stock to be fed daily from it. It is necessary to take 

 a certain amount from the entire surface, so as to keep it. fresh. A few 

 days' exposure to the air renders it unfit for feed. To keep it in good 

 condition you should take off at least iy 2 inches daily, 2 inches would be 

 better. This would make about 1 foot per week and with a 16 foot silo, 

 would feed about 30 head. As to the manner of feeding it, would 

 say that just any old way will do, in the barn or out of doors, just as 

 you like it. It is good either way. A very convenient way is to build 

 your silo about 8 feet from the barn, then connect to barn by a small 

 feed room, with door entering barn, also door in side of small room 

 connecting with lot, which enables you to feed both ways. Of course 

 the opening in silo should be facing the barn, then from roof of small 

 room to top of silo, make an enclosed chute, the width of ladder and 

 two feet deep throw the feed down to room below. This prevents wind 

 from blowing it away. When you have a silo full of good ensilage, 

 you know that everything on the farm from the chickens up are going 

 to have a good, palatable meal, twice a day, regardless of the weather, 

 so my advice to every farmer is to build at least one silo and your 

 troubles will vanish instantly. 



