MANNER OF GROWING FOR SILAGE 391 



There is a decided increase in the amount of dry matter as ma- 

 turity advances. Upon this principle the time of cutting should de- 

 pend. The further reason for postponing cutting is that, in early 

 stages, the sugar is most abundant. Later the sugars are made over 

 into starches as the grain develops and matures. When the corn is cut 

 green the accompanying bacterial fermentation falls most heavily on 

 the sugars and the loss is quite decided. It is, therefore, advisable 

 to put off cutting until grain is well formed and sugars changed to 

 starch. 



Professor King, of Wisconsin, states that corn should be well ma- 

 tured and well eared and contain not less than 30 to 35 per cent of 

 dry matter. If corn contains but 20 per cent of dry matter, there will 

 be much greater loss either as silage or as fodder, due to the greater 

 fermentation. Large amounts of water in silage are more favorable 

 to growth of bacteria than the concentrated juices found in the later 

 stages of the corn plant. 



While corn should not be cut too early, neither should the cutting 

 be delayed too long. It should be cut somewhat earlier for silage than 

 for fodder to be left in the field. The corn for silage should be cut 

 when the grain is past the dough stage, well dented, and beginning to 

 glaze. The foliage at this time will be green and succulent — not 

 coarse and pithy — and will still retain a superabundance of watery 

 materials to be handled. 



FILLING THE SILO. 



In the consideration of silage, nothing is more important than the 

 question of proper filling of the silo. A large percentage of the losses 

 which have been found in the wide range of experience with silos of 

 all kinds has been due to improper filling. The recommendations of 

 the United States Department of Agriculture in Farmers' Bulletin 

 No. 556 are given as follows :* 



"Length of Cut. The usual length of cutting varies from one-half 

 to one inch. The latter is considered a little too long, since pieces of 

 this length will neither pack so closely in the silo nor be so com- 

 pletely consumed when fed as will the shorter lengths. On the other 

 hand, the longer the pieces the more rapidly can the corn be run 

 through the cutter. 



"Packing the Silage. Ordinarily the blower or carrier empties the 

 cut corn into the top of the silo and there are one or more men in the 



*By Professor T. E. Woodward. 



