224 



THE BOOK OF CORN 



Attention has been sharply drawn to these losses 

 in preserving silage, with the result that many have 

 been deterred from adopting this system. Careful in- 

 quiries in a number of states into the losses accom- 

 panying the field curing process amply justify the , 

 conclusion that under the most favorable conditions 

 they are quite as large as in the siloing system, and 

 under ordinary circumstances are considerably larger. 

 The loss in feeding the dry fodder, the uneaten portion 

 of the stalk, must be added to the unavoidable loss in 

 field curing. In the experiments already quoted with 

 coarse stover, this loss amounted to approximately 

 forty per cent of the total weight of fresh substance 

 fed, while in the same experiment less than eight per 

 cent of the silage was refused. While this portion o* 

 the plant is not perhaps as digestible, and certainly not 

 as palatable as the portion eaten, yet experiments by 

 Jordan and Patterson show that a considerable amount 

 of digestible matter is contained in the lower half of 

 the stalk which is available to the animals if they can 

 be induced by any practical means to consume it. In 

 overcoming this loss, or in inducing the animals to 

 eat practically all of the plant, lies perhaps the greatest 

 single benefit to be derived from siloing. 



Finally, the advantage of silage over field-cured 

 material to the dairyman has been proved by an abun- 

 dance of practical experience. Experiments made at 

 the Missouri station clearly indicate that for wintering 

 stock cattle of all classes it possesses decided advan- 

 tages over the field-curing system. For cattle on full 

 feed the testimony is conflicting, and there is yet some 

 doubt as to whether it is feasible under ordinary cir- 

 cumstances to feed steers that are carrying considera- 

 ble flesh very much silage. For sheep its value is 

 already well recognized. 



Silage vs Roots — Many feeders concede the ne- 



