266 Kansas State Board of Agriculture. 



small stacks do not cause enough pressure to be exerted thoroughly to 

 exclude the air. 



It would seem from what has been said above that by either putting 

 alfalfa in the silo or by stacking it green the handling of the crop can 

 be made a more certain operation, and a farmer is less dependent upon 

 the kind of weather he has for making hay. (See "Silage," in index.) 



A DAIRY FARMER'S ESTIMATE OF ALFALFA SILAGE. 



By H. F. MEILLER, Minneapolis, Ottawa county. 



Under ordinary conditions the making of alfalfa into silage is not 

 profitable. A ton of good hay is ordinarily worth $10 on the farm where 

 it is produced. Since by careful test it has been learned that it takes 

 5000 pounds of green alfalfa to make a ton of hay, a ton of alfalfa 

 silage costs a little over $4, as the putting of a ton of green alfalfa into 

 the silo costs a little more than the handling of the 800 pounds of hay 

 it would have made. It is easily determined that it is more economical 

 to use cane, kafir or corn in the silo, as a very much larger tonnage per 

 acre can be secured. This season part of an upland field yielded S 1 /^ 

 tons of alfalfa hay per acre, and the other part yielded 17 tons of cane 

 silage per acre. 



On this farm dairying is the main business. As the land is worth 

 $170 per acre pasture is out of the question. Soiling is expensive, not al- 

 ways practicable nor always profitable. For a cow to do her best part of 

 her ration must be succulent as well as nutritious. Silage is one of the most 

 inexpensive of the succulent feeds. When the silos are emptied, before the 

 succeeding corn and cane crops are ready, we use alfalfa silage. We have 

 done this a number of times, with less expense and better results than by 

 soiling. We have used all cuttings except the last, and have not been 

 able to detect any difference in the quality of silage produced by the 

 different cuttings. 



The alfalfa is cut for silage when in proper stage to cut for hay. The 

 rake follows the mowers and the green alfalfa is hauled at once to the 

 silo. We put it in the silo without running it through the cutter. This 

 materially lessens the cost of filling. We are extremely careful in spread- 

 ing the alfalfa evenly, so as to insure even settling and to avoid 

 "pockets." It is also well dampened when put in, which aids very much 

 in getting it tramped in tightly. 



Fermentation begins within twelve hours and progresses rapidly. The 

 silage may be fed after thirty-six hours without danger of bloat. 



In color alfalfa silage is a light brown, nearly tobacco-colored, has 

 an agreeable odor, and is relished by the stock. If fed outside it should 

 be fed in racks instead of bunks, so as to avoid waste. 



According to reliable authority, alfalfa does not make as good silage 

 as many other crops that are used for silage, as it is lacking in sufficient 

 sugar to produce the proper fermentation. However, we have secured 

 better results from alfalfa silage than from any kind used, but not 

 enough better to warrant its use in place of the crops ordinarily used. 

 (See "Silage," in index.) 



