THE SUNFLOWER AS A SILAGE CROP. 23 



Sunflower silage has a peculiar odor, which is rather strong, 

 resinous, and somewhat sour, but not offensive. This odor may be 

 one of the reasons why cattle sometimes hesitate to eat the silage 

 when it is first offered to them. 



ACIDITY OF THE SILAGE. 



A determination of the acidity of sunflower silage was made by 

 the chemical department of the Idaho Agricultural Experiment 

 Station in 1919 {13). Three samples were used in the determinations. 

 Samples 1 and 2 were taken from the silo at depths of 2 and 6 

 feet, respectively. Both of these samples were somewhat spoiled, 

 as indicated by the dark color and disagreeable odor. Sample 3, 

 on the other hand, seemed to have undergone a normal fermentation 

 and had a good color and no disagreable odor. The total acids, con- 

 sidering only sample 3, were found to be 1.37 per cent. The acidity 

 of corn silage made from corn cut when the kernels were in the 

 glazed stage, as determined by the senior author of the above-men- 

 tioned article, varied from 1.34 to 2.16 per cent in 1915 and was 

 1.81 in 1916. For oat-and-pea silage it was 1.66 and for wheat-and- 

 pea silage 1.61 per cent. All these samples were taken from large 

 silos, and the percentages are given on the basis of the composition 

 of the silage as sampled {12). 



As will be observed from these experiments good sunflower silage 

 is less acid than corn silage or the silage made from a mixture of 

 peas and small grains, and there can be no objection to it on account 

 of its acidity. 



RESULTS WITH DAIRY CATTLE. 



The Montana, West Virginia, New Mexico, and Washington agri- 

 cultural experiment stations, the Manitoba Agricultural College, and 

 the University of Saskatchewan all report favorable results in feed- 

 ing sunflower silage to dairy cows. At variance with their results 

 are the rather unfavorable reports from the Pennsylvania and Michi- 

 gan agricultural experiment stations and the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture field stations at Huntley, Mont., and Scottsbluff, 

 Nebr." 



The Montana Agricultural Experiment Station (4, p. 18-20) in 

 a series of feeding experiments found that good sunflower silage can 

 be substituted for a large part of the hay in a dairy cow's ration 

 without diminishing the quantity of milk produced. The results 

 indicated that 3f pounds of the silage equaled 1 pound of choice 

 alsike-clover hay and 2.83 pounds 1 pound of good alfalfa hay. 



Sunflower silage was compared with corn silage in feeding ex- 

 periments with dairy cows at the West Virginia, Pennsylvania, 



