SILAGE FOR FATTENING. ' 31 



regarding the use of corn silage for fattening beef cattle, 

 Indicate that it can be used to good advantage, when 

 stover and hay are high in price. The Farmer's Guide of 

 Indianapolis thus comments on the matter: 



"Forty-two head of steers, most of them grade Short- 

 horns, were used in an experiment in which 25 pounds of 

 silage per steer was fed daily. The ration which included 

 the silage gave almost exactly the same rate of gain as 

 did the dry ration. 



"No difference in the finish of the two sets of cattle was 

 apparent. This was shown by the fact that although when 

 the cattle were at market, one pen contained only silage- 

 fed cattle and another only dry-fed cattle. A buyer of 

 wide experience, without knowing how the cattle had been 

 fed, purchased both lots at the same price. Other expert 

 cattlemen failed to note any difference between the two 

 lots. 



"It is not to be expected that silage alone or silage and 

 other rough feed will produce a high finish in a short 

 feeding period, since not enough grain is present in the 

 silage for this purpose. Less shelled corn, however, was 

 required by the steers that received silage than by the 

 ones that received only dry feed. 



"The results obtained by the Ohio station with the feed- 

 ing of silage to beef cattle are similar to the experience 

 of the Indiana station, where it was found that silage added 

 to the feeding ration was an advantage in the way of 

 providing succulence. Several practical feeders have made 

 a marked success with this feed and do not hesitate to 

 recommend it. In fact, one Ohio man has several large 

 silos, which he flits annually especially for feeding his 

 beef cattle. 



"When it is figured that all the feeding value of the 

 corn plant is preserved in the form of silage; that there 

 is an immense saving in storage space; that it is easier 

 handled in feeding, and that all animals eat it with a 

 relish, it seems that the farmer might, with advantage, 

 give silage a little more consideration. A silo, well filled 

 will provide plenty of succulent, nutritious feed for live 

 stock during that period of the year when pastures are 

 short and during the winter months when green feed is 

 unobtainable." 



The Indiana Experiment Station reports the results of 

 a six months' feeding trial, wherein "one lot of steers was 



