INTRODUCTION 3 



Soiling is a term used to denote feeding with green 

 plants, when the plants are cut and carried to the animals. 

 Next to pasturing, this is the most primitive way of feed- 

 ing animals. It is practically the only way that cut 

 herbage is used in half-civilized countries. 



Silage is prepared by compacting green herbage in an 

 air-tight receptacle in which it undergoes fermentation. 

 In America the principal crop used for silage is corn, and 

 this, after cutting in small pieces so that it will pack 

 closely, is placed in a specially constructed silo to insure 

 fermentation under nearly anaerobic conditions. The 

 material is ensilaged in the silo. 



Straw is a term applied to the dried remnants of a crop 

 from which the seed has been thrashed. The term is 

 used most commonly in reference to the small grains, 

 wheat, oats, rye and barley, but is properly applied also 

 to thrashed flax, cowpeas, millets, etc. 



Root crops is applied to forage crops whose principal 

 value lies in the subterranean portion, whether true roots 

 or tubers. They are extensively grown for forage only in 

 countries where they^can be produced more cheaply than 

 grain feeds. Their culture is therefore extensive in 

 northern Europe, but has thus far received very little 

 attention in America except in Canada, the Northeastern 

 States and in the humid belt along the Pacific coast, all 

 being regions not well adapted to the culture of corn. 

 Root crops require a considerable amount of hand labor 

 and, partly on this account and partly because of their 

 greater cost, are not popular where plants like corn, sor- 

 ghum or similar crops can be grown. 



Feeds are conveniently distinguished according to 

 nutritive value into concentrates with high feeding value 

 and roughage, or roughness, with relatively low feeding 



