CHAPTER 10 



SYSTEMS OF FARMING ON DAIRY FARMS 

 G. F. WARREN 



D URY farms may be classified according to the cropping 

 syst< m that they use, also according to whether they raise 

 or buy their feed, and may be compared in many other 

 way:-. A few of these problems of organization are here 

 discussed. 



CROPS FOR FEED 



194. Corn Silage. The most striking change in the dairy 

 industry in the last century has come in connection with the 

 use of the silo. This provides a succulent feed in the winter 

 and makes it possible to obtain a better production of milk 

 at that time of year. The silo is a means of saving corn- 

 stalks in the best possible form for winter use. It does not 

 increase the value of the grain. In fact, there is always some 

 loss in the silo, and the cost of putting corn into the silo is 

 more than the cost of husking from standing stalks. Aside 

 from its value as a succulent feed, it is primarily a substitu- 

 tion of corn-stalks for hay. In regions where the season is 

 too short for maturing corn, it may still be grown for the 

 silo. In arid regions corn and other crops that would not 

 produce much grain are nevertheless of value for silage. 



Few crops except corn and similar plants are used gener- 

 ally for the silo. Crops that make good hay are best stored 



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