26 BULLETIN 1045, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



of 1919-20. The author of the report states the results as follows: 

 '• The cows did not consume the sunflower silage as readily as the 

 ' cane ' silage, and they sometimes left a small quantity of it ; but. 

 notwithstanding this fact, the total amount of milk produced on 

 sunflower silage was greater than that produced on ' cane ' silage." 



•In a short feeding test at the University of Saskatchewan (-5) 

 sunflower silage was compared with oat silage as a roughage for 

 dairy cows. The former produced slightly more milk, pound for 

 pound, than oat silage. 



The results at the University of Saskatchewan are supported by 

 the report of the county agricultural agent of Wallowa County, 

 Oreg., in the Farm Journal of January. 1921, p. 68. In response 

 to a campaign for a wider use of sunflowers for silage, 14 silos were 

 filled with sunflowers in 1919. Field peas and oats had previously 

 been the chief silage crop of that county, and the sunflower silage 

 proved more satisfactory than the pea-and-oat silage. 



Another matter of considerable importance to the butter maker 

 has developed in the feeding of sunflower silage at the field station 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture at Ardmore, S. Dak. 

 F. L. Kelso, farm superintendent, claims that considerable difficulty 

 was experienced in manufacturing a satisfactory grade of butter 

 while the sunflower silage was being fed. He says, in correspondence 

 dated June IT, 1921 : " It seemed almost impossible to get the butter 

 to harden, although the flavor was fairly satisfactory. An ordinary 

 churning required from an hour to an hour and a quarter while 

 this silage was being fed. Under ordinary circumstances when corn 

 or cane silage is fed it requires approximately 15 minutes to churn. 

 The first churning that was done after discontinuing the feeding of 

 sunflower silage required 22 minutes." This question of the effect 

 on the butter is important and so far has been investigated very 

 little. 



Notwithstanding these adverse reports, the conclusion seems war- 

 ranted that good sunflower silage is worthy of consideration as a con- 

 stituent in the rations of dairj^ cows in localities where better silage 

 crops are not available. 



FEEDING TESTS WITH BEEF CATTLE. 



The Montana Agricultural Experiment Station reports tests m 

 feeding sunflower silage to beef cattle of practically all sizes and 

 ages. Calves were fed, with good results, rations in which one-half 

 or more of the roughage was sunflower silage. It was learned, how- 

 ever, that calves could not be put on a heavy feed of silage too 

 rapidly ; when this was done they went '" off feed." This difficulty 

 was not encountered with mature cattle. Two-year-old steers were 



