126 SILAGE IN BEEF PRODUCTION. 



feeding- value heretofore connected with the latter. The Kansas 

 tests showed plainly that these drawbacks have been due to the 

 cutting of the kafir and sorghum when too immature. These crops 

 for the above feeding- tests were cut three weeks later than corn. 

 The seeds were practically mature, but the stalks were green and 

 filled with sap. Professors Reed and Fitch report that at all times 

 during the test, the silage from cane contained less acid than the 

 silage from corn. 



In the dairy test, which also covered two years, it was found 

 that corn silage as a milk producer was only slightly superior to 

 kafir silag-e with cane silage a close third. Cows gave daily per 

 head one-sixth of a pound more milk on corn silage than on 

 kafir silage and gained slightly more in weight on the kafir silage. 

 Corn silage produced an average daily yield of one-half pound per 

 cow more than cane silage. These differences are so small that 

 they show the feeds to be practically equal. The choice of crop to 

 plant depends upon the probable yield per acre. Kafir and cane 

 being drouth-resistant crops can be grown over a -wider territory 

 than corn and they produce from one-third to one-half more ton- 

 nage to the acre, so that each acre of kafir or cane would yield 

 considerably more milk than an acre of corn silage. The cane 

 silage was found superior to either kafir or corn silage for gain 

 in live weight, due to more carbo-hydrates and sugar, or fattening 

 nutrients. All the silage was of g-ood quality and the cows ate it 

 with relish. The cane silage seemed most palatable. Cement and 

 stave silos were used with no difference in results as to quality. 



Prof. O. E. Reed, who made the dairy tests, says that "the 

 time of cutting cane and kafir for silage is all-important in 

 making good silag-e from these crops. The crops should be prac- 

 tically mature; that is the seed should be mature. At this time 

 the stalk is still filled with sap and will make good silage. If 

 put up too green, it will make sour silage. The crops should be 

 put up before frost if possible, but it is better to let the crop stand 

 until after frost than to put it up too green. After a heavy frost, 

 the crop should be cut and siloed immediately. If it dries out too 

 much, sufficient water should be added to cause it to pack well." 



The Iowa Experiment Station in Circular No. 6 gives the fol- 

 lowing results of feeding corn silage for fattening cattle. The 

 experiments were in charge of Prof. Evvard. 



"Corn silage should be put into the feeding program of every 

 Iowa beef producer if he wants to fatten cattle economically and 

 efficiently. That corn silage is our most profitable cattle roughage 



