CUTTING SILAGE CORN 163 
foot can be stored; the silage packs tighter and 
loss is prevented at the surface when feeding; and 
when closely tramped against the wall, air is 
excluded and the silage keeps better than when 
it is shallow. 
The quantity of silage that may be stored in a 
silo increases in a higher ratio than the depth 
increases; a silo thirty-six feet deep will store 
nearly five times as much as one twelve feet deep. 
Cutting corn for the silo may be done either by 
hand or by the “self-binder.” When the crop is 
large enough, the latter is preferable, because a 
team may do the cutting late in the afternoon or 
early morning, and thus reduce the number of men 
needed. Besides, the binding of the corn makes 
it much easier to handle, both in loading and in 
_ feeding. There are a number of excellent silage 
cutters. The mistake commonly made by farmers 
is in getting those that are too small; it is better 
to have a cutter a little larger than is needed. 
Few should have cutting blades less than fourteen 
inches long. It is also very important that the 
power to drive the cutter should be considerably 
in excess of its guaranteed capacity; especially is 
this the case when blowers are used, instead of 
carriers, as it is important to have not only a high 
speed but a steady power. 
After the silo is filled, the top should be 
covered with earth or other material, which will 
