15 MAINS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I9OI. 



half the protein of the top section and its digestibility is probably 

 less. It would, therefore, be advisable to leave a high stubble, 

 not less than 8 to 10 inches of plants 3 to 4 feet high in 

 harvesting, and the loss incurred by leaving the coarser part of 

 the stalks on the ground will be more than compensated by the 

 improved quality and palatability of the hay. • 



OATS AS SIEAGE. 

 Oats will make a very fair quality of silage when properly put 

 in the silo, but the plant from the nature of its structure is not 

 well adapted to the process of ensiling. The stalks being hollow 

 carry, when not. crushed or broken, a large amount of air into the 

 mass which prolongs fermentation to the detriment of the quality 

 of the silage. It therefore is necessary to run such materials 

 through the silage cutter to obtain the best results. Although 

 the plant is not an ideal one for the purpose, it is often desirable 

 to put a field of oats into the silo on account of the presence of 

 noxious weeds, rust, bad weather for drying at time of harvest- 

 ing, or for other reasons. The station farm silos have several 

 times been filled with this material. To avoid expense, the oats 

 were at first put into the silo without cutting them in the silage 

 cutter. All usual precautions of packing well at the sides and 

 corners were observed in filling, and after full the silos were well 

 covered, and weighted. In storing by this method, much of the 

 silage spoiled and the remainder was not first quality. Subse- 

 quently the silos were filled several times with oats and peas run 

 through the silage cutter, and the materials kept perfectly, com- 

 ing out in green, nice condition and were as well relished by 

 cattle as corn silage. 



OAT AND PEA HAY. 



Oats and peas grown together and harvested when the oats are 

 in the early milk stage make a forage crop very much superior to 

 oats alone for either hay, soiling, or silage. As peas are a 

 leguminous plant they increase the protein of the fodder, and 

 also improve the soil by leaving behind, in their roots and stubble, 

 a part of the nitrogen which they take from the air. By grow- 

 ing the mixture then, both the fodder and the soil are improved, 

 whereas if oats are grown alone a rather poor fodder is obtained 



