158 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



After the crop-rotation system is well established we find we have 

 enough silage with the second year's growth of clover, and we put 

 the oats and clover of the first year into the hay mow. 



Dr. Jenkins of the Connecticut [New Haven] Experiment Station 

 has analyzed this summer silage, and reports it about three times as 

 rich in protein when made of oats and clover, and four or five times 

 when made of clover alone, as the corn silage, and feeding results 

 in producing milk prove these facts. Professor Esten of the Con- 

 necticut Agricultural CoUege reports the composition of clover 

 silage as almost identical to the composition of milk, or, in other 

 words, a ration of clover silage is almost perfect for the production 

 of milk. 



With these facts in mind, and with an experience of some years' 

 feeding of both corn and clover silage, need I say more to recom- 

 mend the adoption of this filling of the silos with corn in the fall 

 season for winter and spring feeding, and again in summer with 

 clover for the necessary summer feeding? 



A practical experience of clover silage feeding on our farm 

 would place the value of clover silage at one and a half times the 

 value of corn silage, and when these crops of 8 to 10 tons of clover 

 and timothy and 20 to 25 tons of corn silage can be produced per 

 acre, why hesitate longer about building that silo? 



We have had our herd shrink 25 per cent in their milk flow 

 when our silage has given out before we could fill again in the sum- 

 mer with clover, and we have not been able to produce results with 

 green soiling crops to come anywhere near the results secured when 

 matured and cured silage was fed, so that we are positive that 

 silage is the best and most palatable food when rightly made and fed. 



A word as to cost and size of silos. Our experience has been that 

 the diameter of a silo should not be over one-half its height, for the 

 best preservation of the silage, or, in other words, a silo 12 feet in 

 diameter should be at least 25 feet high or deep, and one 14, 16, 18 

 or 20 feet should be 28, 32, 36 or 40 feet high, respectively. 



If your herd is small, say 10 cows, a 12 by 25-foot silo would hold 

 about 60 tons, and be ample, if well filled, for that sized herd; 

 20 cows would need a 16 by 32, holding about 120 tons, and so on, 

 but do not build over 20 feet in diameter, as it makes too much long 

 handling to throw out of silo. Better build two 14 or 16 feet 

 diameter silos instead, and fill one twice in the year, as mentioned 

 earlier in this article. 



There are all kinds of silos constructed, but in these days of 

 modern silo construction the circular or round silo is the best, and 

 can be built of staves, stone, brick or concrete. I know of silos 

 constructed of 2 by 4 or 2 by 6 chestnut staves, made from the trees 

 of the farm wood lot and put together as they come in the rough 

 from the local sawmill, held together by hoops, that have given good 



