176 



ELEMENTS OF AGRICULTURE 

 EFFECT OF FROST ON CORN FOR SILAGE 



Date cut 



October 7 



October 23 



Frost injury 



Ripeness 



Yield per acre 



Dry matter per acre 



None 

 Late milk 

 22,300 pounds 

 5,642 pounds 



Hard frosted 

 Glazed 



22,750 pounds 

 6,500 pounds 



The frosted corn gave 3 per cent less milk per 100 pounds of dry 

 matter. 



The frosted corn gave 15 per cent more yield of dry matter. 

 The frosted corn gave 12 per cent more milk per acre of corn. 



lots were fed to cows for comparison. The frosted corn 

 was not quite so good feed, but there was 15 per cent 

 more dry matter, and the result was 12 per cent more 

 milk per acre of corn. It seems that one should try to 

 avoid a frost, but that if corn has not matured it is better 

 to risk a frost than to cut the corn much too green. 



164. Feeding Silage. Silage is not much used where 

 hay is very cheap. It is not used extensively for fatten- 

 ing cattle, but experiments have shown that it is a good 

 feed for that purpose. It is also good for sheep, but is not 

 fed to horses. Its greatest use is as a focd for winter 

 dairies. 



There is some prejudice against milk from silage-fed 

 cows. One of the largest milk firms in New York City 

 refuses to buy silage milk. This prejudice does not seem 

 to be warranted by the facts. Rotten silage or rotten 

 hay may affect the milk, particularly if they are fed be- 

 fore milking, so that the odors are in the air ready to be 

 absorbed by the milk; but, under ordinary conditions, 

 silage does not give the milk a bad flavor. The Illinois 



