242 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



FILLING THE SILO 



By 

 Prof. Kennedy, of Iowa Experiment Station. 



A timely bulletin on a subject in which all buttermakers are 

 interested as advisers of their patrons is on filling the silo. It 

 comes from the Iowa station and was prepared by Prof. W. J. 

 Kennedy. He treats the subject under different headings as 

 follows : 



The problem of filling the silo for the first time is going to 

 confront more farmers this year than ever before. Thousands 

 of men are asking these questions : When should the corn be 

 cut? What length should the corn be cut? Should the silo be 

 filled rapidly or slowly? How should the corn be distributed 

 and packed? Should water be added during the filling? How 

 should the cracks or other air spaces be filled? What is the 

 best way to prevent waste on the top of the silo? What does it 

 cost per ton to fill the silo? How soon after filling is the silage 

 fit to use ? 



In attempting to answer some of these questions the author, 

 in addition to drawing upon his own personal experience of 

 many years with silos, has consulted all of the leading experi- 

 ment station workers, who have had silo experience, and in ad- 

 dition many of the leading beef producers and dairymen. The 

 answers brought out many points of interest. Chief among 

 them was a marked tendency on the part of the beef producers to 

 advocate a more mature corn at filling time than in the case of 

 the dairymen. 



Time to Cut Corn. 



While there is some slight difference of opinion on this 

 matter, practically every answer indicated that the corn should 



