GRASS SILAGE 15 



large proportion of legumes and was of excellent quality. The particular lot 

 being fed when the April samples were taken was composed of mixed grasses • — 

 a rather poor stand on a field that had not been reseeded for many years. It is 

 regretted that carotene determinations could not have been made on these 

 silages. 



Flavor of the Milk 



The same composite samples used for fat test and vitamin A assay were tested 

 for flavor by impartial experts^ who did not know the identity of the samples. 

 They reported as follows: 



These results show that, except for the December samples, for which the 

 scores were identical, in the opinion of these judges the milk from cows receiving 

 grass silage was superior in flavor to that from cows receiving the other feeds. 

 In view of the results set forth in the preceding section on vitamin A content of 

 the milk and the generally recognized relationship between vitamin A and milk 

 flavor, these results are not surprising. 



Costs of Making Grass and Legume Silage 



Costs vary so from place to place and from year to year that no hard and fast 

 set of figures can be given with the expectation that they will be generally appli- 

 cable. From the records that have been kept at the State College, from costs 

 published by other institutions, and from unpublished information furnished by 

 several operators in this State, it seems that the cost of grass silage in an average 

 season may be higher than for a similar amount of dry matter stored as hay, but 

 the difference will not be great. In an unfavorable haying season, the grass 

 silage possibly would be cheaper than hay and would have the further advantage 

 of higher feeding value per unit of dry matter. Usually it will be cheaper than 

 corn silage for two reasons: (1) Land must be prepared for corn each year and 

 weeds have to be kept down, while grass land is usually plowed not oftener than 

 once in three or four years; (2) investment in special machinery will be less. 



The following itemized costs are taken from the State College records. It is 

 fully realized that they are higher than would be the case on efficiently operated, 

 privately owned farms, but they may serve as an indication of what to expect 

 in the way of maximum cost of such material. 



^Acknowledgment is made of the cooperation of Professors H. G. Lindquist and M. J. Mack, 

 who judged the flavor of the various samples. 



