264 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



not to begin immediately, the surface should be wet down thoroly and 

 tramped well several times the first week, when an impervious layer 

 of rotten silage will form on top and only a few inches will be spoiled. 

 To lessen the waste it is well to remove the ears from the last few loads 

 of corn. A covering of a foot or so of cheap refuse, such as straw, 

 weeds, or corn stalks, wet with water, will save the more valuable 

 forage underneath. The crust should not be disturbed until feeding 

 commences, when all spoiled silage should be discarded. Certain patent 

 silo seals reduce the surface losses. When the forage becomes dry before 

 being ensiled, water should be added either to the mass in the silo or 

 preferably to the cut forage as it passes thru the blower. 



414. Danger from carbon dioxid. In silo filling there is possible danger 

 to those who go into the pit after an intermission, due to carbon dioxid, 

 or carbonic acid gas, which sometimes accumulates in sufficient quantity 

 to prove fatal to life. The possibility of danger may be ascertained 

 by lowering a lighted lantern or candle into the pit. If the light con- 

 tinues to burn at the bottom human beings can live in the same atmos- 

 phere, but if it goes out it means death to one entering the pit. The 

 opening of a door low down in tjie silo will allow the poisonous gas 

 to pour out, or pouring a lot of cut forage into the pit soon creates a circu- 

 lation which removes the danger. 



415. Weight of silage. For many years in estimating the capacity 

 of silos, tables based upon the work of King at the Wisconsin Station 23 

 have commonly been used. Recent extensive investigations by Eckles 

 at the Missouri Station and Reed and Fitch at the Kansas Station 24 

 have shown that these tables overestimate the average capacity of silos. 

 They found that the weight of a cubic foot of silage varies quite widely, 

 depending on several factors, the average of their results being as fol- 

 lows, for silage after settling one month or more : 



The weight of a cubic foot of corn silage at the surface foot was 32.0 

 Ibs. ; at a depth of 5 feet, 34.8 Ibs. ; at 10 feet, 38.0 Ibs. ; at 20 feet, 41.0 

 Ibs. ; and at 30 feet, 43.0 Ibs. The average weight of the silage for the 

 whole depth was 33.4 Ibs. per cubic foot for the first 5 feet, 35.0 Ibs. for 

 a depth of 10 feet, 37.5 Ibs. for a depth of 20 feet, and 39.0 Ibs. for a 

 depth of 30 feet. 



416. Capacity of silos. The following table condensed from the data 

 of Eckles, Reed, and Fitch and of Chase of the Nebraska Station 24 * shows 

 the estimated tonnage of silos for well-matured corn silage. The first 

 division shows the estimated tonnage when the silage has been well 

 tramped and allowed to settle one day, and the silo then refilled. The 

 last division shows the estimated tonnage when the silage has settled 

 for one month or more. The depth of silage in the table is the actual 

 depth of silage and not the height of the silo wall. This table may be 

 used for sorghum silage as well as for corn silage. 



28 Wis. Bui. 59. 



"Results published jointly in Mo. Bui. 164 and Kan. Cir. 89. 24 *Neb. Cir. No. 1. 



