88 FIELD CROPS 



110. Cost and Feeding Value. Statistics gathered in 

 Minnesota show that it normally costs from $18 to $20 

 an acre, including rent, to grow and store silage. A fair 

 yield is from 9 to 12 tons to the acre. Silage may be fed 

 to all classes of live stock, and is highly prized by all who 

 have had experience with a good quality of it. Compared 

 with clover hay, a ton of silage is worth $4 when clover 

 hay is worth $12. With clover hay at this price, an acre 

 of average corn stored in the silo is worth approximately $40. 



111. Stacking Silage. In some parts of the country 

 where silos have not 3^et been introduced, corn grown for 

 silage is cut and stacked green out of doors with veiy good 

 results. The stacks are usually made round, with the butts 

 of the bundles out. The ears may be stripped from the outer 

 row of bundles and thrown into the middle of the stack so 

 that the butts can be packed more closely together. The 

 stacks should be made as solid as possible and should be 12 

 or more feet in diameter and 12 or more feet high. The 

 higher the stacks are, if built so that they will not lean, the 

 bettei*. When these stacks are built they are usually, though 

 not always, weighted down with earth and stones or with 

 patented compressors to facilitate their settling. 



The outer part of the stack spoils by molding and thus 

 seals up the inner part and provides the same conditions 

 afforded by a silo. The outer spoiled part is cut off and only 

 the inner part, or good silage, is fed. While considerable corn 

 is wasted by this method, it provides a cheap form of succu- 

 lent feed and does well until silos may be afforded. 



MARKETING AND RETURNS 



112. Marketing. Corn is commonly sold from the farm 

 on the ear, though it is sometimes shelled before it is mar- 

 keted. The usual practice is to sell the ear corn to local 

 dealers, who store it or shell and ship it. Corn is generally 

 shelled before it is shipped, because shelled corn occupies 



