MISCELLANEOUS CONSIDERATIONS 525 



grain or meal to feed with the silage should not be lost 

 sight of, more especially when feeding large quantities of 

 silage. 



Silage differs considerably in the degree of the acidity 

 which characterizes it. The difference may be so much 

 as to justify the use of the terms, "sweet" and "sour," as 

 applied to silage, with all manner of gradations between 

 these. The differences are usually owing in great part, 

 at least, to a difference in the stage of maturity in the corn 

 when it is put into the silo. In other words, it is owing to 

 a difference in the amount of water which it contains. Corn 

 so immature that it carries much water is likely to make 

 sour ensilage, unless the quantity of this has been re- 

 duced by wilting the corn. Sour ensilage cannot be fed 

 with safety in quantities so large as sweet ensilage. 



Feeding miscellaneous products. Certain products 

 are occasionally fed as food to stock which do not constitute 

 a part of any regular ration in prolonged feeding These in- 

 clude eggs, weed seeds, sugar, oil of various kinds, and nuts. 

 Certain other products are sometimes fed for a time with 

 sundry kinds of food, to increase the supply of some ele- 

 ment or elements lacking in the food. These include hard- 

 wood ashes, charcoal and bone meal. 



Eggs contain all the essential elements of body growth. 

 Although too valuable as human food to admit of their be- 

 ing much fed to live stock, in some instances they are 

 fed to calves in the uncooked form as a corrective to scours, 

 and in other instances to improve the gloss of the coat. 

 For both uses, other ingredients may be used that are less 

 costly and even more effective. They are sometimes used 

 also in feeding stallions undergoing the strain of severe 

 service, and the benefit resulting will probably justify the 

 outlay. 



Weed seeds are grown in large quantities in grain- 

 growing areas of the Northwest. Usually they are sold as 

 screenings and are largely used in feeding sheep, (see p. 

 272). Many weed seeds are rich in oil, and because of this, 



