THE FEEDING AND MANAGEMENT OF CATTLE. 



459 



TAHLK VI. Showing rations for fattening steers Continued. 

 RATIOX NO. II. 



In botli tables there is less organic matter than called for by the 

 standard, but this is not important. The carbohydrates are less than 

 the standard, but this lack is nearly made up by the excess of ether ex- 

 tract or fat. 



SILAGE FOR STEER FEEDING. 



The llritish farmer leads the world in the perfection of farm stock, 

 and while this may not be altogether due to his system of feeding, yet 

 that must be a large factor. Under the English system farm animals 

 do not go for any long period on dry food. The cattle go to pasture 

 early and remain late, and when in the stable or yard still have succu- 

 lent feed in the shape of roots. How different the American system, 

 where our cattle are on pasture a few months in summer and then 

 return to the stable and yard to subsist on dry food of limited variety 

 for nearly six months! It may not pay. in many cases for farmers to 

 grow roots for stock, but wo have a means of providing a cheap sub- 

 stitute for turnips and mangolds in corn silage. I do not at this time 

 wish to discus^ tin- relative merits of silage and roots, but rather to 

 pi i -ad tor more general introduction of the silo with those farmers who 

 do not lake kindly to root culture. The wonderful development of 

 mat liinei y for planting and cultivating corn enables the farmer to pro- 

 duce a large amount of excellent feed with very little labor. If by 

 some means the juicy, tender stalks can be carried over to winter we 

 have a very fair substitute in cheap form for the root crop, and this is 

 accomplished by the silo, which gives us at a very small cost u succu- 

 lent food, palatable to horses, cattle, and sheep. 



The use of silage came through dairymen, and to this day the steer- 

 feed IT . . i n;s to hold that silage is only suitable for dairy cows and too 

 sloppy and sour for beef-making. Gradually the prejudice is breaking 

 away and Wef-iuakers as well as butter-makers are beginning to appre- 



I he silo. 

 SILAGE COMPARED WITH ROOTS FOR STEER- FEEDING. 



Tin- -K at silage material is Indian corn. In the corn belt from 10 to 

 L'(> tuns of green fodder may be raised on an acre of fertile land. If 

 we put the average crop at 15 tons as it goes into the silo, it will feed 



