The Indian Corn Crop 183 



with oats in the spring, the sowing of a winter cover crop 

 even of rye, is an important matter to prevent loss of fer- 

 tility in the winter and to add humus in the plowing in 

 spring for the oats crop, and the shredded fodder can be 

 stacked and kept in perfect condition, and will make a 

 far better feed than the cattle could get by ranging the 

 stalk fields in winter when they should be comfortably 

 housed and regularly fed. 



_, „., But the most important and valuable in- 



The Silo . . ..11 



vention m connection with the com crop m 



recent years has been the invention of the silo, into which 

 the green corn is cut and preserved in a succulent state 

 for feeding in winter and for tiding over a drought in sum- 

 mer when the grasses fail in the pastures. For the man 

 whose interest is in Hve stock, either as a beef feeder or as 

 a dairyman, the silo is indispensable. Through its use he 

 can make his farm carry profitably far more stock than 

 he could profitably feed on the dry food. 



A silo is merely a building made as nearly air tight as is 

 practicable at bottom and sides and freely ventilated above, 

 into which the corn is cut by machinery made for the pur- 

 pose into half-inch pieces when it is in the green or roast- 

 ing ear state. The fermentation that ensues drives out 

 the air and the green feed is preserved in a succulent 

 state closely resembling the green forage of the pastures. 

 In the first introduction of the silo in this 

 of^rslro ''''' ^^^n^^y> ^^^ ^^^ development of the ensi- 

 laging practice, it was common to make the 

 silo under ground by excavating and walling up a great pit. 

 It was also the practice to plant the com very thickly in 

 the rows, Kterally sowing it in furrows. This resulted m 



