FILLING THE SILO 161 



As to cutting and filling, there has also been 

 considerable gain in our knowledge and practice. 

 It is now thought that the finer the corn is cut or 

 shredded, the better, primarily because there is 

 more even distribution of the parts of the ears and 

 stalks, and because the finer the material is cut the 

 more readily and evenly will the settling take 

 place, thus again preventing the ready access of 

 air. It has been demonstrated, also, that the neces- 

 sity of very rapid filling of the silo, and the sub- 

 sequent pressure, are not such important consid- 

 erations as was formerly supposed. 



Corn may be ensiled at the convenience of- 

 the farmer, providing the fermentation does not 

 proceed so far as to cause rotting between times of 

 filling. The development of heat in the silo cannot 

 be avoided, and does not necessarily occasion 

 great loss of substance, although fermentation 

 always results in more or less breaking down of 

 substance, and in some loss; in the case of corn, 

 this loss is chiefly in the carbohydrates. 



When the work can proceed steadily, from 

 eight to fifteen tons per day may be put in small 

 and medium-sized silos, but, as already indicated, 

 the silage should not stand more than two days 

 between successive fillings. The importance of 

 thoroughly compacting silage at the time of filling 

 the silo is not usually sufficiently well understood. 

 The thorough tramping not only enables a much 



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