The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
973 
Crops for the Silo in 
the North 
V ALUE OF CORN. —I am pleased to note the 
interest that is manifested by R. N.-Y. readers 
in the silo, silo filling and silage crops. The silo, 
intelligently used, may be one of the greatest and 
best means for re-creating the farm and establishing 
u paying livestock industry. Readers seem to be 
much interested/ in learning of a crop, richer in 
protein than corn, that can be used in the silo to 
furnish at least a part of the protein now procured 
in purchased grain. This is well, and should be 
encouraged as much as possible. I deprecate the 
idea of attempting to change the character of the 
corn plant. It was made just right by 
the Creator, and the silo farmer, as 
well as all other farmers, should grow 
nil he can of it. But that something 
can be added to jt that shall increase 
the protein content of the resulting 
silage without impairing its succulence 
or decreasing the per acre yield has. I 
think, been abundantly proved. 
THE ROBERTSON COMBINATION. 
—In the early nineties Prof. .Tames 
Robertson. Commissioner of Agriculture 
for Ontario, brought forward in farm 
institutes in Maine and elsewhere what 
came to be known as the ‘•Robertson 
Combination” for the silo, which pro¬ 
duced a superior silage of a much 
higher protein content than corn alone, 
and a silage that was better relished 
by stock than pure corn silage. This 
mixture consisted of corn, sunflowers 
ami English horse beaus. They were 
mixed in about the proportion of four 
parts corn, as large a growing variety 
as would fairly mature in the locality, 
two parts horse beans and one part 
sunflowers. Mixed in these proportions 
they were placed in the planter and 
drilled at one operation. The mixture 
can be readily cut with a corn har¬ 
vester. As grown on the writer’s farm, 
they produced more weight per acre 
than corn alone, were handled readily 
and greedily eaten by all stock. It may 
not be generally known, but there is 
nothing growing which cattle are more 
fond of than sunflowers. They will be 
eaten to the ground, if not too far 
mature, and the mature stalk, taken 
from the silo, is eaten to the last piece. 
HORSE BEANS.—The English horse 
bean grows one straight stalk, with 
pods growing directly from the stalk, 
one in a place. These stalks stand erect 
and will be from three to four feet in 
height. The bean furnishes the extra 
protein and the sunflowers the oil. It 
was difficult at times to procure the 
beans, and protein by-products were 
then low in the markets, hence the 
mixture did not come into general use, 
but now, with all protein by-products 
out of sight, it would seem that its use 
might be commended. 
E X PE R1 ME NT AI. R ESU LT S.—The 
Maine Experiment Station took up the 
combination, and has the following to 
Si *y °f it. The plants were grown sepa¬ 
rately for experimental purposes: “The 
crops were harvested September S-10. 
run through the silage cutter and 
mixed with com in the silo, one-half 
acre of horse beans, one-quarter acre 
sunflowers and one acre of corn, 
whole plant of one-half of the 
flowers was put in the silo mixed 
"'ith corn and beans. Of the re¬ 
maining half the heads only were 
Us °d- Both mixtures were found 
to he well preserved when the 
silo was opened in January, and 
vere greedily eaten by the cows. 
Stalks of the sunflowers were so 
i'irge and coarse that it seemed 
doubtful whether the cattle would 
0,1 * * 'mm, but after being ensiled 
tlu ‘ lni xtnre was as well relished 
as the pure corn. The cost of 
growing these crops can be esti- 
matod to be about the same 
that of corn. The land should be put in about the 
same condition and the labor of caring for them is 
not materially different.” The Station also presents 
the tables below. 
“The very large yield of sunflowers (whole plant) 
per acre shown in the table below would apparently 
secure for them a favorable position among coarse 
fodder plants for silage material.” 
CONCLUSIONS REACHED.—It was the conclu¬ 
sion of the Experiment Station at the time these 
experiments were made that the then low pi-ices of 
protein by-products in the markets precluded the 
The 
sun- 
m 
<9 * 
K 
growing of this mixture for its protein content, but 
the prices now would warrant a return to the plant 
for a silage mixture. Readers will note that the 
bean, the whole plant, is rich in protein, compared 
to corn. Horse beans fresh from the silo possess 
3.S8 per cent of protein. Air-dried, they contain 
22.84 per cent. Corn, the whole plant, fresh from 
the silo, contains 1.7 per cent. Air-dried, it contains 
8.0 per cent. Without doubt seed dealers have, or 
could get. this bean if there should be a call for it. 
And be sure not to forget the sunflowers. It is a 
general rule, -without an exception as far as I know, 
that all small-growing, hollow-stalked 
plants, like the clovers, oats and peas, 
are better dried than they are in the 
silo. They are hard to handle in the 
green state, while the advent of the 
corn binder has made the harvesting 
of corn and other similar growing 
crops comparatively easy. Stick to 
these for the silo and dry all the others 
you can grow. B. walker m'keen. 
Maine. 
R. N.-Y.—Bear in mind that these 
remarks apply to conditions in the 
latitude of Northern New England, 
where the growing season is very short. 
Some farmers object to sunflowers, and 
others prefer the Soy beans. 
Sorting Preserving Tomatoes. Fig. 215. (See page 91 ! t ) 
Practical Plan for Tomato Training. Fig. 216. (See page 91 /,) 
Pinning with Tractor in Massachusetts. Fig. 211 
YIELD PER ACRE IX POUNDS 
Names of Plants 
Sunflower, heads . 
Sunflower, whole plant. 
English horse beans, whole plant. 
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE PLANTS 
Weight 
Harvested 
27.040 
48.880 
20. ICO 
Weight of 
Dry Matter 
3.767 
7.210 
3,490 
Fresh Material as Harvested 
Dry Material (Water Free) 
93 
as 
&£ 
„ % 
Sunflower, heads. 8(5.07 
Sunflower, whole plant 85.21 
11orse beans, w hole 
plant . 82.65 
% 
1.10 
1.02 
2.00 
4- 
o 
0> 
3 
U 05 
•*- Si 
O 
O 
5 
£ 
U 0) 
4- 4> 
0/ 
~ +-> 
eu 
S 
££ 
£ 
£ 
E 
KK 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
1.03 
3.70 
5.62 
1.40 
7.80 
13.87 
27.20 
40.33 
10.70 
1.70 
4.00 
6.14 
1.03 
13.04 
11.55 
27.04 
11.60 
6.78 
3.88 
3.71 
7.1S 
0.40 
12.07 
22.34 
21.41 
41.35 
2.82 
Trimming Pine Trees 
I have a pasture field that has started a 
growth of native pines. They run from 
live to eight feet in height. I would like 
to trim off a portion of the lower limbs, 
say about two feet from the ground, so 
as to start an upward growth. When 
would he the proper time to do it—Spring 
or Fall? w. r. 
Erin, N. Y. 
Pine trees may he trimmed of their 
lower branches at any season of the year, 
although Spring is the most advantageous 
time. The wound will heal over more 
rapidly and will be less conspicuous. It 
should not be expected, however, that 
priming will materially influence the 
height growth. As a matter of fact, it 
is doubtful if such pruning as you con¬ 
sider would be advisable. Assuming that 
your trees are white pine and red pine. 
£hey will grow from one to two feet in 
height each year under ordinary conditions. 
If they are sufficiently close together they 
will produce fairly dense shade on the 
ground, which will not only prevent the 
growth of weeds and grass, but will suc¬ 
ceed in killing the needles on the lower 
branches. After these are dead the 
branches will become brittle. In a few 
years, if they do not naturally break off 
they may be knocked off with a heavy 
stick or club. Such work is usually done 
to best advantage in the Winter, when 
the -wood is frozen. 
In either pruning or knocking the twigs 
off it should be borne in mind that they 
must be removed close to the main trunk 
—the closer the better. The primary 
object in removing the lower branches is 
to secure wood of a greater value as a 
result of there being no knots present. 
A stub will result in a knot until the tree 
has grown sufficiently in diameter to com¬ 
pletely surround it. With hardwoods to 
a much greater extent than conifers these 
stubs are liable to decay and result in 
heart-rot of the tree. 
Rather than any pruning I would sug¬ 
gest that every opportunity be given for 
the trees to grow closer together, 
thus forcing natural pruning. Of 
course, if your trees are on the 
lawn and grow more or less in the 
open, this advice will uot hold. In 
this latter case you will obtain the 
desired tree form in a much shorter 
time if one or two of the lower 
whorls of branches are removed. In 
years to come individual whorls 
may be removed from one year to 
another. It is not well, however, 
to remove any large portions of the 
crown, because they will result in 
reducing the ability of the tree to 
grow rapidly. g. h. c. 
