M MISCELLANEOUS SILAGE CROPS. 147 



by the cattle, and we have no reason to suppose that it 

 would not have kept if we had not used it up when we 

 did. But our experience has been that neither the rye nor 

 the wheat is equal to corn silage for feed. In fact the 

 cows did not eat the rye as clean as they should have done 

 and fell off somewhat in milk. When we began on the 

 wheat, however, they did better and we believe the wheat 

 to be better material for silage than rye." 



Beet pulp silage is relatively rich in protein and low 

 in ash and carbohydrates (nutr. ratio 1:5.7; see Glossary). 

 Its feeding value is equal to about half that of corn 

 silage. 



Occasional mention has furthermore been made in the 

 agricultural literature of the siloing of a large number of 

 plants, or products, like vetches, small grains (cut green), 

 cabbage leaves, sugar beets, potatoes, potato leaves, tur- 

 nips, brewers' grains, apple pomace, refuse from corn and 

 pea canning factories; twigs, and leaves, and hop vines; 

 even fern (brake), thistles, and ordinary weeds have been 

 made into silage, and used with more or less success as 

 foods for farm animals. 



At a recent convention of the California Dairy Asso- 

 ciation the president, Mr. A. P. Martin, stated that the best 

 silage he ever made, besides corn, was made of weeds. A 

 piece of wheat which was sowed early, was drowned out, 

 and the field came up with tar weed and sorrel. This was 

 made into silage, and when fed to milch cows, produced 

 most satisfactory results. 



Alvord says that a silo may be found a handy and 

 profitable thing to have on a farm even if silage crops are 

 not regularly raised to fill it. There are always waste 

 products, green or half-dry, with coarse materials like 

 swale hay, that are generally used for compost or bed- 

 ding, which may be made into palatable silage. A mix- 

 ture, in equal parts, of rag-weed, swamp grass or swale- 

 hay, old corn stalks or straw, and second-crop green 

 clover, nearly three-fourths of which would otherwise be 

 almost useless, will make a superior silage, surprising 

 to those who never tried it. 



