SILOS AND SILAGE. 203 
the corn was well trampled at the sides in fill- 
ing. The more uniform the packing through- 
out the better will the silage be preserved. 
Covering the top —When full the contents 
may be allowed to settle for a day or so, when 
more corn may be cut into the silo, or cut straw 
or chaff may be filled on the silage to a foot or 
so of depth. <A layer of tarred paper may first 
be laid on the silage and the straw placed on 
this. Some dispense with the paper, while 
others begin feeding the silage from the top as 
soon as filled, never covering at all. No pres- 
sure on top of the corn is necessary. 
Wetting the silage——When the corn is cut 
in a very dry season, and is not as juicy as com- 
mon, the writer has found it advisable to pour 
water on it after the temperature reaches a 
high poimt. If one has a water pressure and 
can turn on through a hose, that will be a con- 
venience. Plenty of water may be used to 
advantage, but no fixed rate of application can 
be recommended. 
Cost per ton.—The cost of corn silage per 
ton varies, and the estimates made by those 
owning silos vary widely—from 25 cents to $4 
per ton. At Lafayette, Ind., the writer esti- 
mated the cost to be $1.50, and this included 
higher-priced labor than many pay for, and nu- 
merous other factors, such as taxes on land, ete., 
that are not taken into account by the farmer, 
