50 



MISCELLANEOUS FARM SUBJECTS 



animals when a succulent feed is desired. There is some difference 

 of opinion, however, regarding its value as compared with corn 

 silage. Most dairymen who nave had extensive experience in 

 feeding both are of the opinion that the pea-vine silage produces 

 a greater flow of milk than does corn silage. On the other hand, 

 a few contend that when a change is made from corn silage to pea- 

 vine silage there is always a perceptible falling off in the milk pro- 

 duction. The latter, however, are decidedly in the minority. 

 Some cases of this nature were found to be due to the fact that the 

 pea-vine silage was partially spoiled, and it is possible that all un- 

 favorable results could be traced to similar conditions. 



The following table shows the composition of pea-vine silage 

 from different sources in comparison with corn silage. 



Composition of Corn Silage and Pea-Vine Silage. 



a Annual Report, Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station, 1904. 



b Analysis by Prof. George W. Cavanaugh, Cornell University. Ithaca, N. Y. 



It will be seen that pea-vine silage is richer in protein than is 

 corn silage, about the same in fat, but not quite so rich in nitrogen- 

 free extract. Pea-vine silage is especially valuable for late summer 

 feeding when pastures are short and before the corn silage is avail- 

 able. 



Pea-Vine Silage for Beef Cattle. Pea-vine silage has little 

 value as a fat producer, but regardless of this fact it is very highly 

 regarded as a supplementary feed for beef cattle. Quite a number 

 of feeders are using the silage, and almost invariably they claim 

 that their cattle keep in much better condition than where no 

 silage is fed. One New York canner writes that he annually feeds 

 from 250 to 275 steers on the refuse vineo from his factory. He 

 begins feeding silage with a little corn meal in the winter. The 

 amount of meal is gradually increased until the animals are on a 

 full ration. They are usually finished off and ready for beef early 

 in June. 



Pea-Vine Silage for Sheep. In many sections of New York 

 and Wisconsin pea-vine silage has come to be very highly regarded 

 as a feed for sheep. In Wisconsin a large number of lambs and 

 wethers that are being fattened for the market are fed on this sil- 

 age in preference to any other roughage. The common practice 

 is to take the sheep off the pastures about the 1st of November and 

 put them on a ration of silage and corn meal. At first they are 

 given about 10 pounds of silage and from one-half to 1 pound of 

 meal each day. The quantity of silage is gradually decreased and 

 the meal increased, until at the end of thirty or forty days they are 



