266 SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



corn. It is equally apparent that in the states which 

 border upon the Great Lakes, the necessity for the 

 silo is much greater than in the semi-arid belt east 

 of the Rocky mountains, or in the Rocky mountain 

 valleys where irrigation is practiced. ' In the former 

 corn grows abundantly. In summer there is usually 

 sufficient moisture and in winter the snow frequently 

 falls deep and piles up around the corn shocks. In 

 the latter the precipitation almost ceases in summer, 

 and the snow fall is usually light. Dairying is not 

 much practiced in the semi-arid region, nor is it ever 

 likely to be the dominant agricultural industry in the 

 same. It would not be incorrect therefore to affirm 

 that there is no great necessity for silos in the dry 

 areas west of the Rocky mountains, nor would the 

 necessity for them seem to be very great in those 

 sections of the western and southwestern states 

 which produce alfalfa abundantly. The latter can 

 be cured almost without hazard in those rainless 

 summer areas, on the other hand there may be in- 

 stances even in the semi-arid region and in the dry 

 southwestern states where silos may be made to 

 render good service. 



In some of the corn growing prairie states, it 

 has been argued that silos are a necessity because 

 of the amount of soil that is frequently deposited on 

 the corn or sorghum shocks by the prairie winds, and 

 the argument has some force. But the difficulty 

 may be met by stacking the corn or sorghum as soon 

 as cured. 



Distribution of Silos. — By the term distribution 

 of silos is meant their relative adaptation to the 

 needs of various sections of the country. The 



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