Tests with Feeding Stuffs. 



407 



ing, the crop from 12 acres, averaging 11.25 tons of green forage, 

 was run thru the feed cutter and placed in the silo. The remaining 

 3 acres was harvested by cutting and shocking. After curing in the 

 field for a month, the unhusked fodder, yielding 4.1 tons per acre, 

 was stored in the barn. The cost of ensiling the crop was $11.22 per 

 acre, while cutting, shocking, storing the unhusked fodder in the 

 barn, and later running it thru the feed cutter cost $10.31 per acre. 

 The next step was to test the relative merits of the silage and 

 fodder. Two lots of 4 cows each were fed silage and fodder corn, 

 respectively, for 2 twelve-day periods as shown below, the rations 

 being reversed at the close of the first feeding period. The silage 

 was eaten without waste, while a portion of the fodder corn was left 

 uneaten. Both lots of cows gained in weight during the trial. 



Corn silage compared with corn fodder. 



The table shows that the silage-fed cows averaged 2.7 Ibs., or 12.8 

 per ct, more milk daily than those on dry fodder corn a convincing 

 example of the merits of corn silage. 



Hills of the Vermont Station 1 found that cows fed green fodder 

 corn early in September shrank 5 per ct. in butter yield, while others 

 fed corn silage pitted the previous year gained 8 per ct. (350) 



655. Corn silage v. hay. At the Maine Station 2 Jordan fed cows 

 first with good hay, later with hay and silage, and again with hay, 

 all getting the same amount of concentrates. The yield of 4 cows 

 for 14-day periods, just preceding or following a change in the ra- 

 tion, was as follows: 



When fed on hay 1,212 pounds 



When changed to silage and hay 1,297 pounds 



An increase of 85 Ibs., or 7 per ct. 



When fed on silage and hay 1,200 pounds 



When changed to hay 1,098 pounds 



A decrease of 102 Ibs., or 8 per ct. 



1 Rpt. 1907. 



2 Ept. 1889. 



