166 foitAGE CHOPS 



value of the two kinds of forage. There is no 

 question, therefore, of the value of this method of 

 preserving corn for food. Whenever farmers have 

 a sufficient number of dairy, beef or young cattle 

 to warrant the building of a silo, there will be no 

 question as to the advantage of the system. 



The gains in the making of silage over the 

 using of the grain and stover, are, (1) the preven- 

 tion of mechanical losses in the harvesting of the 

 corn; (2) the advantage of the removal of the 

 entire crop at one time, so as to permit of a more 

 rapid growth and development of cover- crops, 

 which are so important in the conservation of 

 fertility; (3) reduction in actual cost of labor 

 per unit of feed obtained, which will result when- 

 ever farmers are equipped for the rapid handling 

 of large quantities of material in a short time. 

 The silo is as much a part of the equipment of 

 dairy farms in the North and East, as the corn- 

 crib is of the farms of the West. 



Composition of Corn Fodder and Silage 



Dried Otip ton One ton One ton 



fodder contains Stovei- contains Silage contains 



Per cent Lbs. Per cent Lbs. Per cent Lbs. 



Water. . . . 42.20 . . . 40.50 . . . 79.10 . . . 



Dry matter . 57.80 1,156 59.50 1,190 20.90 418 



Ether extract. 1.60 32 1.10 22 0.80 16 



Fiber .... 14.30 286 19 70 394 6.00 120 



Protein ... 4 50 90 3.80 76 1.70 34 



Ash 2.70 50 3.40 68 1.40 28 



Nitrogen -free 



extract . .' 34.70 694 31.50 630 11.00 220 



