FIFTY-THIRD ANNUAL CONVENTION 83 



Time to Harvest 



Corn continues to increase in feeding value throughout 

 the season. There is more food value in ripe corn than in 

 the glazed or milk stage. Hov^ever, if we v^ait until the 

 corn is ripe before we fill the silo much of the leaves will be 

 lost in harvesting and water must be added so that the silage 

 will settle sufficiently to exclude the air so it will not mold. 

 All things taken into consideration, the best time to harvest 

 a crop of corn for the silo is when it is well glazed and the 

 lower leaves have begun to ripen. It often is the case that 

 one can not fill the silo when the corn is at the proper stage 

 of maturity to make the best silage on account of not being 

 able to get a machine to do the work or sometimes corn 

 freezes before it is properly matured. Whatever may be 

 the cause, good silage can be made from either over ripe or 

 fosted corn provided sufficient water is run in with the 

 silage so it will pack well and exclude the air. 



Yield Per Acre 



The yield of silage per acre depends entirely on the 

 kind of a crop of corn we raise. It is usually estimated 

 that a corn crop that will yield 50 bushels per acre will 

 make from 10 to 12 tons silage. 



Filling the Silo 



In filling a silo the corn is usually cut about 1/2 inch 

 long. The silage will settle better and stock will eat it all 

 up. The corn and leaves should be evenly distributed in 

 the silo so it will settle evenly. On account of the friction 

 the silage next to the walls will not settle as well as in other 

 parts of the silo, material here should be kept slightly high- 

 er than in the center and should be especially well tramped. 



Sealing the Silo 



It is a good practice to snap the ears from the last two 

 loads of corn before putting it into the silo as this amount 



