STORING lOI 



salt to the hay when being stored seemed to decrease, if 

 anything, rather than increase its feeding value. Lime 

 applied in stacking is claimed to have a beneficial effect in 

 preventing mold. 



The raised bottom and layers of straw are useful ac- 

 cessories for the stack, shed or mow, while the barrel or 

 other ventilating contrivances should not be overlooked 

 in either sheds or mows. 



STORING AS SILAGE 



As land values increase and farmers and dairymen 

 come to more fully appreciate the worth of green feed in 

 winter, the silo grows in estimation. Eastern farmers 

 who keep cows or young stock of any kind use the silo 

 more or less, to conserve for winter the value of both 

 green grass and corn. Alfalfa makes an excellent silage, 

 but its peculiar quality of retaining its green food value, 

 as hay, when properly cured, makes its ensiling much less 

 a necessity. Alfalfa hay taken from the mow in Febru- 

 ary, green, appetizing and nutritious, falls little, if any, 

 short of serving the purposes of silage. 



OFTEN PROFITABLE TO ENSILE THE FIRST CUTTING 



However, it is not infrequently found that the first 

 cutting of alfalfa may be ensiled directly from the field 

 at a season when rains would prevent its proper curing 

 for hay. If this is done, it is important that the rakes and 

 wagons follow very closely after the mower, as even two 

 hours of sun exposure in the swath lessens its value for 

 silage. Men who have cut alfalfa during a light rain and 



