ECONOMY OF SILAGE. 19 



great that it takes them a couple of weeks to get back 

 where they were when turned out. When let out in the 

 spring, steers will be apt to lose weight, no matter whether 

 silage or dry feed has been fed, unless they are fed some 

 grain during the first week or two after they are turned 

 out. For more detailed information regarding the feeding 

 of silage for beef production, see chapter 3, page 28. 



5. Economy of Storage. Less room is required for 

 the storage in a silo of the product from an acre of land 

 than in cured condition in a barn. A ton of hay stored 

 in the mow will fill a space of at least 400 cubic feet; a 

 ton of silage, a space of about 50 cubic feet. Considering 

 the dry matter contained in both feeds we have found that 

 8,000 pounds of silage contains about as much dry matter 

 as 2,323 pounds of hay, or 160 against 465 cubic feet, that 

 is, it takes nearly three times as much room to store 

 the same quantity of food materials in hay as in silage. 

 In case of field-cured fodder corn, the comparison comes 

 out still more in favor of the silo, on account of the 

 greater difficulty in preserving the thick cornstalks from 

 heating when placed under shelter. According to Pro- 

 fessor Alvord, an acre of corn, field-cured, stored in the 

 most compact manner possible, will occupy a space ten 

 times as great as in the form of silage. While hay will 

 contain about 86 per cent, of dry matter, cured fodder 

 corn often does not contain more than 60 and sometimes 

 only 50 per cent, of dry matter; the quantities of food 

 material in fodder corn that can be stored in a given 

 space are, therefore, greatly smaller than in case of hay, 

 and consequently, still smaller than in case of silage. 



Since smaller barns may be built when silage is fed, 

 there is less danger of fire, thus decreasing the cost of 

 insurance. 



6. No Danger of Rain. Rainy weather is a disad- 

 vantage in 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. 



