15 Nov., 1919.] The Economy of Silos. 693 



25 per cent, on tlie previous years, it caused such a flood of protests at 

 Washington that the following statement was issued : — " The War 

 Industries Board, being mindful of the importance of silos as a means 

 of stimulating production and of preserving food, will look with favour 

 upon their construction," and the proposed 25 per cent, reduction was 

 not enforced. In 1882 there were only ninety-one silos erected in the 

 United States; in 1914 this had increased to 750,000. At a congress in 

 Chicago of the American Meat Packers' Association, the President 

 stated that he was looking to the silo to help to save the situation as 

 regards the threatened beef famine which is in sight in the United States. 

 If, therefore, the silo is such an important factor in America, with 

 similar conditions of labour as our oAv'n, must we not seriously consider 

 the advisability of looking into the matter Avith the object of ascertain- 

 ing if it is not worth while adopting the silo system in our management 

 of the farm. It may be correctly stated that ensilage was on trial in 

 this country some thirty years since, and did not oatch on, yet a few 

 farmers made ensilage then, and have continued to use the silo up to 

 the present time. Undoubtedly the present-day method of making silage 

 is a vast improvement on the old manure-heap practice, with its un- 

 warranted waste. Just previous to the war a few wood stave silos were 

 erected on the American principle in this country, but owing to the 

 restriction on timber during the past few years, this had to be discon- 

 tinued. Those farmers who were fortunate enough to have their silos 

 erected at pre-war prices have reaped an immense advantage. 



Most farmers have a fairly accurate idea of the cost of mangold at 

 pre-war prices up to the time they were carted off the land, but even 

 then there was no allowance made for pitting, carting home, and pre- 

 paring. During the past four years, the expense in cultivating root lands 

 has enormously increased, and labour which could not be spared from 

 the roots was badly needed elsewhere, so consequently other crops had 

 to suffer for the want of it. As to the cost of ensilage, it was estimated 

 at under 9s. per ton in 1914. In the same year, a silo with capacity for 

 160 tons was filled with maize, the produce of 12 acres, and it main- 

 tained seventy-five head of stock for twenty weeks without any roots — 

 straw and cake being the only additional feed. This works out at some- 

 thing under Is. per week per head; but it must be added some ten 

 calves were included in the number, the rest being twenty-five milch 

 cows and some of their produce as yearlings and two-year-olds. 



Like other commodities, one can readily under-tand there is good 

 silage and bad silage; some which nnimals will readily consume, and 

 some which does not appeal to stock. Decayed and mouldy silage it is 

 not advisable to feed, and given to horses may result in «erious loss; 

 and as it is difficult to avoid at times pieces of mould getting into the 

 manger, it is not recommended as a food for horse stock, but to all 

 cattle, sheep, and swine it may be-fed with the greatest confidence and 

 with excellent results. But it must not be forgotten that there is a con- 

 siderable wastage of food-values in the process of making silage. Lawes 

 and Gilbert found that in a stack silo this loss amounted to no less than 

 30 per cent., and the analysis of maize silage in a stave silo at Wye 

 showed likewise that the chemical changes were attended with serioiis 

 depreciation of value. 



