18 ADVANTAGES OP THE SILO. 



filling silos as in most other farm operations, but when the silo 

 is once filled, the fodder is safe, and the farmer is independent of 

 the weather throughout the season. 



If the corn has suffered from drought and heat during the fall 

 months, it is quite essential to wet the corn either as it goes into 

 the silo, or when this has all been filled, in order to secure a good 

 quality of silage; and unless the corn is very green when it goes 

 into the silo, the addition of water, or water on the corn from 

 rain or dew, will do no harm. If the corn is too dry when put into 

 the silo, the result will be dry mold, which is prevented by the 

 addition of 'the water, which replaces that which has dried out 

 previous to filling if this has been delayed. 



A common practice among successful siloists is to fill the silo 

 when the lower leaves of the standing corn have dried up about 

 half way to the oars. Generally, the corn will be in about the 

 proper condition at that time, and there will still be moisture 

 enough left in the plants so that the silage will come out in first- 

 class condition. 



There must be moisture enough in the corn at time of filling 

 the silo, so that the heating processes, which take place soon after, 

 and which expel a considerable portion of the moisture, can take 

 place, and still leave the corn moist after cooling, when the silage 

 will remain in practically a uniform condition for several years if 

 left undisturbed. But if, on account of over-ripeness, frosts, or 

 excessive drought, the corn is drier than stated, it should be made 

 quite wet as stated above, and there is little danger of getting it 

 too wet. The writer has filled silo with husked corn fodder about 

 Christmas, and as the fodder was thoroughly dried, a %-inch pipe 

 was connected with an overhead tank in the barn and arranged 

 to discharge into the carrier of the cutter as the cutting took place, 

 a No. 18 Ohio cutter being used for that purpose. Although a full 

 stream was discharged, and with considerable force, on account 

 of the elevation of the tank, and the cut fodder in the silo still 

 further wet on top with a long hose attached to a wind force 

 pump, it was found, on opening the silo a month later, that none 

 too much water had been used; the fodder silage came out in good 

 condition, was eaten greedily by the milch cows, and was much 

 more valuable than if it had been fed dry from the field. 



Where haymaking is precluded, as is sometimes the case with 

 second-crop clover, rowen, etc., on account of rainy weather late 



