CORN 149 



7. In some southern sections where the attacks of the 

 grain weevils are bad, it has become the practice to jerk 

 the ears and store them unhusked. The work required to 

 jerk the corn and afterwards husk it is greater than husking 

 from the standing stalks. But most of the jerked corn is 

 fed to stock without husking. 



Ensilage Most Economical. The entire feeding value 

 of the corn crop is best saved in silos. The ears, stalks, and 

 leaves, cut up very fine at harvest time, are saved for the 

 feeding of stock in winter or hi the dry season of the summer. 

 The product is called silage or ensilage. (See chapter on feeds 

 and feeding.) 



Silos are often made of staves with steel or wooden hoops. 

 Some are made by standing up studding in the form of a circle 

 and then nailing two layers of half -inch lumber bent around 

 inside, with tar-paper between the layers. 



Masonry silos may be made of (1) concrete reinforced 

 with steel rods; (2) brick with reinforcing bands; (3) stone; 

 (4) hollow tile blocks with reinforcing rods or wires. 



Metal silos are found in some sections. 



In dry climates silos are entirely below ground, and in 

 other regions they are often placed about six feet in the 

 ground and the masonry wall extends one or two feet above 

 the surface for protection of the wooden superstructure. 



Silos should be round in form to prevent the silage from 

 spoiling hi the corners. The silage is thoroughly tramped, 

 particularly at the edges, at filling time to make it to settle 

 well. 



Roofs may or may not be used as desired in cold climates 

 having much snowfall. Rainfall is usually considered bene- 

 ficial, and water is often run into the silo at filling time if the 

 crop is rather- mature. 



The capacity of silos increases more with the depth than 

 with the area of the surface. This is because the silage is 

 packed so closely in very deep silos. The following table, 



