352 SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



Under such conditions it will be decidedly ad- 

 vantageous to have a covering, as of oiled cotton 

 cloth, lying over the entire surface of the silo. Such 

 a covering is not expensive, and it will tend to keep 

 the silage on the surface in better condition for feed- 

 ing. When such a covering is used it can be laid 

 backward only far enough to make bare a sufficient 

 space to furnish food for feeding at one time. The 

 cover should be at once put back, and in this way the 

 feeding progresses. But even when thus managed, 

 it should be the aim to feed from every part of the 

 surface, at least as frequently as once in two or 

 three days. Such a covering will also prove help- 

 ful in protecting the surface silage from frost in 

 cold areas, where there may be danger from 

 such a source. 



Feeding from a Part of the Surface. When 

 the silage is fed from only a part of the surface of 

 the silo, that is to say, when a section of the mass 

 only is being fed from, the side of the mass adjacent 

 to that from which the silage is being fed is thus 

 gradually exposed to the air. Because of such expo- 

 sure the silage spoils for some distance in from the 

 exposed side. The extent of the decay will depend 

 in some measure on the length of the exposure and 

 on the compactness of the mass. It will vary from 

 a few to several inches. Because of this loss, the 

 plan of feeding silage by this method should be 

 avoided as far as may be possible. When silage is 

 thus removed, some sort of hay knife should be used 

 in cutting down the side of the mass. The surface 

 exposed will then be smooth and the waste of silage 

 will be much less in consequence. 



