COST OF SILAGE 



395 



COST OF SILAGE.* As with the cost of filHng the silo, no 

 definite figure can be set as to the cost of silage. This will depend 

 upon the yield per acre, the cost of growing an acre, and the cost of 

 filling. Several years ago the cost was variously estimated at from 

 $1.00 to $1.50 per ton. At present this is much too low. The before- 

 mentioned data collected by the Dairy Division on the filling of 87 

 silos in various parts of the country show the cost of growing the 

 silage crop to average $1.58 per ton. This added to the 87 cents, which 

 represents the cost of filling, makes the total cost of the silage $2.45 

 per ton. The cost of the silage for the individual farms varied from 

 $1.10 to $5.42 per ton. In general, it may be stated that $1.50 to $3.50 

 per ton represents the limits between which most of the silage is 

 produced. 



FILLING SILO AT THE IOWA EXPERIMENT STATION. 



F. D. Coburn of Kansas estimates the cost per ton of filling the 

 silo as follows : 



For cutting and putting in silo, per ton 58.59 cents 



For interest and taxes on silo investment, per ton 10.97 



For insurance and maintenance, per ton 3.66 



Total 73-22 " 



The following table taken from Farmers' Bulletin No. 292 shows 

 the cost of a ton of silage as estimated on 31 farms: 



•Farmer's Bulletin No. 556. 



