12 FARM PRACTICE WITH FORAGE CROPS IN OREGON, ETC. 



June, while spring rains frequently continue until about the 1st of 

 July. (See table giving the distribution of rainfall on page 8.) It 

 will thus be seen that haymaking ordinarily occurs at a time when 

 good weather can not always be relied upon. If meadows are pas- 

 tured during the spring to retard the development of the crop, so 

 that haymaking will occur after the late spring rains are over, the 

 yield of the second crop is usually much lighter, since its growth is 

 confined entirely to the dry season. By the use of the silo, on the 

 other hand, the first crop may be cut for ensilage early in June, even 

 though the weather be unfavorable for haymaking. If cut at this 

 time, while the plants are still growing vigorously, a good second 

 crop will usually mature for hay early in August — the best haying 

 season of the year. A light third crop can be used for pasture or cut 

 for ensilage late in the fall. It is evident, therefore, that the use of 

 the silo will practically insure the saving of the first crop, increase 

 the total yield per acre, and cause the second crop to mature at a 

 time when good haying weather can usually be relied upon. 



That all kinds of ensilage should be finely cut may be desirable, 

 but we must not get the idea that it is essential. For years ensilage 

 of the finest quality has been made in western Oregon and western 

 Washington out of whole clover and grass (timothy, English rye- 

 grass, etc.). In making ensilage of this kind, however, there are two 

 essentials — an air-tight silo and great care in filling it. 



Farmers who use the silo as indicated above agree that the first 

 crop of grass and clover should be cut for ensilage from the 1st to 

 the 15th of June, for the earlier the first crop is cut the greater will 

 be the yield of the second. 



Difficulty is usually experienced in raking up freshly cut green 

 grass with an ordinary hayrake. Some farmers avoid this difficulty 

 by cutting with a self -raking reaper or a mower with a buncher attach- 

 ment. These bunches are then thrown on a wagon by hand. Others 

 cut with an ordinary mower and load from the swath with a hay 

 loader. The heavy green grass often bends the teeth on the elevator 

 bars of the loader. The teeth may be reenforced by nailing blocks 

 of wood on the elevator bars just back of the teeth. 



In filling the silo the material must be evenly spread and thoroughly 

 tramped, so that all of the air possible will be excluded. If this is 

 not done much of the ensilage will spoil. Two principal methods 

 were found in use by farmers in filling silos. In the first the freshly 

 cut grass is dropped directly into the silo with a hayfork. Two men 

 in the silo spread the material and tramp it thoroughly, especially 

 around the edges. The center of the silo where the loads from the 

 fork fall requires but little tramping. The second method is to drop 

 the material upon a platform at the top of the silo by means of hay 



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