New York Agbicultural Experiment Station. 645 



In some feeding experiments with lambs at the Michigan Ex- 

 periment Station, rations containing silage were found more 

 profitable than others containing beets. 



Losses in the Silo. ; 



Even with an unusually large loss from keeping corn in the 

 silo the silage would be a cheaper food than roots. The losa 

 however, in the silo is not greater than with the dried fodder. 

 The average loss in many instances where observations were 

 made was. for dry fodder and silage, about 20 per cent, of the dry 

 matter in the fresh crop. The loss in the silo, aside from that by 

 decay at the surface and exposed corners, was found on the 

 average of several determinations made at this Station to be 

 about 12.6 per cent. There was a loss of about 18.5 per cent, of 

 the albuminoids and 26.6 per cent, of the sugar and starch. 



At the Wisconsin Experiment Station under favorable con- 

 ditions a loss of dry matter of the crop of not much more than 

 8 per cent, was found, including all loss. It was estimated that 

 the necessary loss could be made much smaller. 



Ensilage and Field Curing. 



Experiments made at the Pennsylvania Station on the in- 

 fluence of ensiling and field curing on the digestibility of forage 

 corn led to the following conclusion: " When the processes are 

 successfully conducted and the losses small, ensilage and field 

 curing both decrease the digestibility of the fresh material some- 

 what, and to about the same extent." 



While it has been estimated by some who have investigated 

 the subject that dried fodder and silage when properly prepared 

 have very nearly equal value for milk and butter production, a 

 majority of feeding trials have shown advantages in favor of 

 corn silage, and it is generally concluded that the silo furnishes 

 the most economical means of feeding the corn crop entire. 



In some feeding trials with steers at the Utah Station the ani- 

 mals having dry fodder gained in weight while those having sil- 



