Legume and Grass Silage 11 



served. With this arrangement, two men can pitch a ton of green hay to a 

 silo filler in 10 minutes or less. 



SUo Filler 



Almost any flywheel-type cutter in reasonably good condition will cut 

 and elevate green hay crops. Machines with throats 14 inches wide or larger 

 do the work faster and at lower power cost per ton cut. than smaller ma- 

 chines. Modern machines, with feed rolls designed for handling hay crops, 

 are easier to feed than standard ensilage cutters. The silo filler should be 

 set for % to y2 inch cut. Silage cut on longer settings does not pack as well 

 in the silo. Shorter settings slow up the work. 



Adding Molasses as a Preservative 



The experience of most operators indicates that the following quantities 

 of molasses, should be added to each estimated ton of green material for 

 the best preservation : 



Kind of Crop Molasses per Ton 



Grasses or Cereals 40 lbs. (3>^ gals.) 



Mixed grasses and Legumes 60 lbs. (5 gals.) 



Alfalfa or Clovers 80 lbs. (7 gals.) 



Soybeans 100 lbs. (8>4 gals.) 



It is not necessary to apply the exact amount of molasses called for by 

 the above table. Some operators used more molasses than was needed for 

 preservation, and in so doing, not only made a more palatable silage but 

 added feeding value at low cost. 



The molasses may be added by gravity, air pressure or pump. The most 

 simple method calls for a drum, two valves and a short piece of hose or pipe 

 leading to the blower. The line should be one-inch in size or larger. If the 

 line is over 6 feet long the larger sizes will be necessary. Enough molasses 

 to treat each load is poured into the drum. A pail or two of water may be 

 added, if necessary, to speed up the flow when the molasses is cool. One 

 valve is used to open the line after feeding starts. It should be always 

 closed before feeding stops. The other valve is set so that the proper amount 

 of preservative is applied to the load. 



The molasses should be delivered to the blower at a point inside the 

 path of the fans so that the blower will suck on the molasses line rather 

 than blow against it. 



If any considerable amount of molasses runs into the blower when no 

 forage is going through, pipe clogging results. An automatic molasses shut- 

 off has been made by setting one valve at the lower end of the line where 

 it goes into the blower and connecting it by a rod to the upper feed roll 

 of the silo filler. When the feed roll is raised by the forage, the line auto- 

 matically opens. As the rate of feeding increases, the feed roll rises higher 



