114 SUMMER SILO. 



clover. The two systems were practically on an equal footing so 

 far as influence on milk production was concerned, but the cost of 

 producing and feeding soiling crops was higher than that for 

 silage, due to the cost of seed and the great amount of labor in- 

 volved. The silage yielded more and better food from the same 

 area, was more uniformly palatable and there was less waste due 

 to uncontrollable weather conditions. The experiment indicated 

 that in case of scant pastures, dairymen would find it a matter of 

 great convenience, saving and profit to feed corn silage in prefer- 

 ence to soiling crops. The results of the above experiments were 

 published in Wisconsin Bulletin No. 235. 



The summer drouth is with us to stay, and we might as well 

 prepare to meet the situation most intelligently. As a matter of 

 fact, we have never known a single season in our practical 'experi- 

 ence to go through from end to end without a drouth, and even 

 that in the best of what we might term our normal seasons. Major 

 E. E. Critchfield, of Chicago, an agricultural expert, says that a 

 good deal of effort has been made in various localities to carry over 

 this particular season by soiling, but, he adds, we must remember 

 that the man who does this is not in any sense prepared for soil- 

 ing practice and it comes at a period when he is almost inordinate- 

 ly busy with other things and is, therefore, likely to fail of best 

 results. 



If, however, he has a summer silo, or a good "heel" left in his 

 winter silo, he has in it a place of greatest convenience for feeding 

 and it is most likely to produce the best possible results. 



Night pasturing has been found to be a very valuable practice 

 in connection with the summer silo. By running the cows into 

 pasture at night they are absolutely undisturbed by flies and other 

 insects, and by keeping them in a darkened yet well ventilated 

 barn during the day and feeding them from the silo, every advan- 

 tage of the pasture and absolute freedom from its annoyances is 

 secured. 



Another very valuable attribute of the summer silo is that it 

 permits of saving crops in years of great plenty for other seasons 

 of less plenitude. The desirability of this practice becomes evident 

 when we recall how our mothers in years when fruit was very 

 plentiful and cheap, used to put up a sufficient quantity to last 

 for several years and we can hark back in our memories and tes- 



