390 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



Compared with this, silage from well-matured corn contains 17.7 Ibs. 

 total digestible nutrients per 100 Ibs., or over 40 per ct. more. 



In a trial by Anthony and Henderson at the West Virginia Station, 112 

 sunflower silage did not maintain milk production quite so well as corn 

 silage, but was consumed readily after the cows became accustomed to it. 

 Sunflower silage proved satisfactory in trials by Arnett, Joseph, and 

 Tretsven at the Montana Station, 113 283 to 375 Ibs. of sunflower silage be- 

 ing equal to 100 Ibs. of alfalfa hay. At the Washington Station 114 it 

 was found that sunflower silage was much less palatable than corn 

 silage. Silage from sunflowers which had been damaged considerably by 

 rust and aphis proved decidedly unpalatable in a test by Morrison, 

 Humphrey and Hulee at the Wisconsin Station, 115 and cows which 

 were accustomed to good corn silage could not be forced to eat it. The 

 following year, the silage was apparently of good quality, but considera- 

 ble trouble was experienced in getting the cows to eat the sunflower 

 silage, unless it was mixed with corn silage. In trials at the Michigan and 

 Pennsylvania Stations 1158 sunflower silage proved decidedly less valuable 

 than good corn silage. (384, 783) 



From the results which have been secured thus far, it appears doubtful 

 whether sunflowers will materially displace corn or the sorghums, where 

 good yields of these excellent silage crops can be secured. In districts 

 where the growing season is short, sunflowers for silage undoubtedly 

 have a place among economical crops. 



637. Other silage studies. Eye silage was found by Hills of the Ver- 

 mont Station 116 to be drier and less readily eaten than corn silage, 

 and it made 10 per ct. less milk and butter. Cows changed from corn to 

 rye silage shrank 20 per ct. in milk, while on changing back from rye to 

 corn they gained 2 per ct. (318) Millet silage or hay is inferior to good 

 corn silage. (317) 



Sudan grass silage was found by Woll at the California Station 117 to 

 be worth only 10 per ct. less than corn silage. 



In experiments by the United States Department of Agriculture 118 

 corn silage was compared with potato silage, made by chopping potatoes 

 in a special machine, and mixing with the macerated potatoes 2 per ct. 

 by weight of corn meal to inoculate the potatoes with lactic acid bacteria, 

 so the material would undergo the proper fermentation. (Corn rneal 

 normally contains an abundance of these bacteria.) This potato silage 

 was about equal to good corn silage and was well-liked by the cows after 

 they became used to it. 



638. Roots. Tho roots are excellent for dairy cows, they are little 

 used in this country, because corn silage furnishes much cheaper suc- 

 culence. Nearly 90 per ct. of the dry matter in roots is digestible, and 



112 W. Va. Cir. 32. 5 au. S. Dept Agr. Bui. 1045. 



113 Mont. Bui. 131. " 6 Vt. Rpt. 1907. 117 Cal. Bui. 282. 



114 Wash. Bui. 158. ""Information to the authors. 



ll6 Wis. Bui. 319, p. 24; Bui. 323, p. 84; unpublished data. 



