294 



Nature- Study Agriculture 



W. T. Skilling 



FIG. 240. A silo. Notice the iron pipe for rilling from blower, and the wooden 

 chute for emptying. 



Silage To supply green feed to stock in winter many farm- 



ers build silos (Fig. 240) which they fill with green 

 material, such as corn and alfalfa, the coarser matter 

 being chopped fine or shredded. The wet silage is packed 

 so tightly that most of the air is excluded. The ma- 

 terial ferments, forming an acid that helps to pre- 

 serve the silage much as sauerkraut is preserved. 

 Cattle like silage, and they thrive better and yield more 

 milk when they are fed on it than they do when kept 

 on the usual dry materials. 



