148 SILAGE CROPS. 



Hayward of the Pennsylvania Experiment Station states that as 

 a result oi experiments carried on there he believes a small amount 

 of clover will go much farther in the silo than it will if pastured. 

 At^mpts at the Wisconsin Experiment Station to make silage out 

 of the whole clover plant without chopping were not satisfactory. 

 By running the green clover through cutter, however, and tramp- 

 ing it thoroughly, fairly good results were obtained. 



The latest experiments on the question of using clover as silage 

 have been conducted at the Montana Experiment Station by Prof. 

 R. W. Clark. His results showed that second crop clover made 

 into silage during September and October after being frozen, kept 

 well until May and June the following year. After the weather 

 became warm, however, it grew dark in color, strong in odor and 

 was not relished by the cows. During the winter months the 

 cattle uniformly had a keen appetite for it. 



In milk production 2.33 pounds of clover silage was required to 

 equal one pound of good clover hay, this difference being due 

 largely to the difterence in moisture content. In calculating the 

 results, timothy hay was placed at a value of $10 a ton, clover 

 hay at $6, clover silage at $2.50 a ton, and grain at $20 a ton. 



An average of the three experiments, which were conducted 

 with precautions to make up for the varying individually of the 

 cows, showed the cost of producing 100 pounds milk was 73.9 

 cents on clover hay and 73.4 cents on clover silage.v The cost of 

 a pound of fat on the hay was 17.9 cents, while on the silage it 

 was 17.8. The daily production of milk on clover hay was 22.8 

 pounds and 0.93 pound of fat, compared to 24.8 pounds and 0.97 

 pound of fat on the clover silage. 



The general indications seem to be that clover silage has a 

 value of about $2.55 a ton under Montana conditions and when it 

 is necessary to save the crop in this way or else have It lose value 

 on account of weather conditions, it may very well be preserved 

 in the silo. 



Under corn belt conditions where corn has already become 

 established as the favorite silage cTop, probably little clover will 

 be used.- Very frequently, however, the clover crop Is threatened 

 with damage by rain or too intense sunshine, and it may be easily 

 and cheaply placed in a silo regardless of the weather and pre- 

 served in a perfect condition. The failures reported in the early 

 stages of silo filling were largely due to the faulty construction of 



