THE POLK SYSTEM 29 



Handling Ensilage to the 

 Best Advantage 



NO matter how excellent a silo one may have, it is necessary to 

 use good judgment and great care in the handling of ensilage 

 before one secures the best results. 



SIZE OF SILO. Strange to say, the first thing to consider in the 

 handling of ensilage is the size of the silo. Two things will deter- 

 mine the diameter of your silo the number of cattle you have and 

 how many pounds per day you intend to give to each animal. The 

 statement, that the diameter of a silo should be one-half of its 

 height, has no basis in reason, but is made only by people that can 

 not conveniently build them very high. The weight of a concrete 

 silo makes it possible to disregard wind pressure so that height is 

 not a drawback on this account. The tall silo is really much more 

 economical of space. By reference to table No. 2, page 21, you 

 can determine the size you will want. For instance, a 10 by 28 

 silo will feed 12 head of dairy cattle 40 pounds per day each for 

 180 days, or 19 head of beef cattle 25 pounds per day each for the 

 same length of time. It will have a capacity of 43 tons, and will 

 require 3^ acres of corn to fill. You will notice that the amount 

 to be fed daily varies directly with the diameter. This is because 

 silage must be fed in even layers of a thickness of about 2 inches 

 deep each da^ during the winter season and slightly more in the 

 summer time on account of increased fermentation. We have pre- 

 pared this table at much expense and the greatest care, and we 

 want it to be of value to you. 



TIME TO PUT UP SILAGE. Corn should be put up when it is at 

 its prime when the ears are beginning to glaze and the indenta- 

 tions are becoming well marked, and just after the husks are be- 

 ginning to die. This takes place a short time after the roasting 

 ear stage. Corn should be put into silage when the amount of nu- 



"They are not built of piece* and they 

 cannot go to orece*. " 



