298 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Southwest farmers listening to a discussion cf silos and their possibilities. The talks were made by lecturers on a Santa Fe 



railway demonstration train. 



are warmest in 

 praise of the 

 silo are the 

 farmers who 

 are using them. 

 The use of 

 silos has three 

 great advan- 

 tages over dry 

 feed methods. 

 It is more eco- 

 nomical, the 

 feeding value 

 of the product 

 i s improved, 

 and silos make 

 cattle feeding 

 profitable and 

 hence help to 

 maintain soil 

 fertility. The 

 economy of 

 silage results 

 from the fact 

 that cattle will 

 readily eat the 

 whole stalk in 



silage form while in whole or shredded dry fodder 

 a goodly portion of the stalk is refused. If fodder 

 is stored in a dry shed the percentage of waste in 

 curing is not much different from the same in the 

 silo, since there is a portion of silage on top that 

 spoils, but if the corn is husked in the field the same 

 crop in silage is worth at least 25 per cent more. 



If the crop is to be stored the silo is the most 

 economical storage room, since nearly twice the 

 amount of dry matter may be stored in the same 

 space in the form of silage as in the form of dry 

 fodder. Also crops may often be siloed that would 

 otherwise be lost. 



The greatest recommendation for a silo is that 

 it increases the feeding value of a crop. The in- 

 creased feeding value does not come entirely from 

 increased digestibility, but chiefly from the physical 

 effects and the increased palatability of the silage, 

 therefore animals may be induced to eat larger 

 amounts. Owing to its succulence, silage, like 

 grass, keeps the bowels regulated and tends to 

 maintain that degree of healthful vigor so essential 

 in hard-worked dairy and breeding animals. 



Some silo advantages are indirect. The most 

 laudable thing about the silo harvest system is that 

 it does away with selling crops off the land and 

 thereby depleting the soil fertility. It makes a sys- 

 tem of stock farming possible whereby nearly all 

 the fertilizing constituents are thrown back to the 

 soil in the form of manure. 



Silage is pre-eminently a cow feed. It finds 

 greatest favor with dairy cattle, since it may be 

 made to replace the succulent grass in winter, or 

 may serve to uphold the milk flow during a drought 

 in summer. In dairies near cities, where pasture 

 is not available, it often determines the difference 

 between profit and loss by supplanting costly grain 

 foods. It also makes possible the rearing of calves 

 cheaply to replenish the herd. Some complaint has 



The cuts used in connection with the story on silos are from photo- 

 graph? made for the Santa Fe Railway. 



been made 

 against the fla- 

 vor of milk 

 from silage fed 

 cows, but there 

 is no danger 

 from this 

 source if the 

 silage is first 

 class, unless 

 the milk is al- 

 lowed to set in 

 open vessels in 

 the barn and to 

 absorb the od- 

 ors, and the 

 milking is done 

 after silage is 

 fed. 



On the gen- 

 eral farm the 

 good effect of 

 silage on the 

 health of the 

 breeding of 

 young stock in 

 winter can 



hardly be overestimated. It is an excellent feed for 

 ewes with lambs. It may be used in small quan- 

 tities for maintaining the idle horses, but it is ton 

 sappy to feed to work horses. 



The chief value of silage on the beef farm is 

 in providing a cheap and healthful ration for the 

 breeding herd. Large quantities fed to fattening 

 animals makes the flesh too soft and sappy. It 

 may, however, be used freely in the first part of 

 the fattening period and since it is a great appe- 

 tizer small amounts fed to animals on full feed pro- 

 duce wonderful results as a tonic. 



In regard to the kind of a silo, that is a matter 

 for each individual farmer to settle for himself. 

 They are all good. They will all keep silage in first- 

 class shape. They will all pay for themselves 

 several times over. Some makes stand the wind- 

 storms and are more fireproof than others. Some 

 cost more than others. These are points for the 

 individual to settle. Do not build too large a silo. 

 It is much better to build two smaller ones. Do 

 not have too much surface space, as from two to 

 four inches should be fed off the surface each day. 

 This insures less waste and sweeter silage. Some 

 build two silos, one for winter feeding and one for 

 summer feeding. This is a very good thing to do. 

 Extensive experiments with silage have been 

 conducted recently at the experimental station at 

 Puyallup, Wash. Concerning the results accom- 

 plished, H. L. Blanchard, assistant superintendent 

 of the station, says : 



"We must not cut our corn into the silo be- 

 fore it has become sufficiently mature. There is 

 much evidence that corn in this state should pass 

 the glazing stage and have about begun to ripen 

 for the best ensilage. No doubt the quality of our 

 c-orn silage will continue to improve from year to 

 year as certain varieties become more and more ac- 

 climated. The best method of planting in hills 

 or in drills will need to be worked out under the 

 (Continued on page 313.) 



