Silos and Silage in Colorado. 
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adding water. After the silo is filled, it is a good practice to thor¬ 
oughly soak the top silage and tramp it well, as it will reduce sur¬ 
face spoilage. 
Adding Salt .—Many inquiries received ask whether or not salt 
should be put into silage during filling. The only reason for this 
would be to increase palatability, which is unnecessary, or to check 
fermentation, which is not advisable. In putting beet pulp into the 
silo, it is recommended to add salt to help destroy harmful bacteria 
which develop in the juices. This is not necessary with silage 
crops. 
Sealing the Silo .—When a silo is filled, the top eight or ten 
inches mold and decay into an airtight layer which seals the mass 
below. Various means have been employed to save these top eight 
inches. Straw is often cut fine, soaked down with water and 
packed. This lessens spoilage but does not prevent total loss. In 
pit silos, the covering of the top with earth is commonly practiced, 
but total prevention of spoilage is seldom if ever reported, as earth is 
porous. Some cover the top with a tarpaulin and earth, but canvas 
will not last long with such treatment and so this is an expensive 
method. Sprouting oats on the surface is often done, but unless the 
feeding commences early enough so that the green oats can be fed 
before it decays, it is really an expensive system, as the oats re¬ 
quired for the purpose has more value than the silage saved. Be¬ 
sides, this is only a partial preventive against spoilage. The cutting 
of weeds on top is not to be recommended, as the silage is liable to 
be tainted for several feet. The most practical method is to snap 
the ears out of the last two or three loads of corn put in, thus sav¬ 
ing the grain, and after soaking and packing the surface, allow the 
top layer to spoil and seal the silo. 
Opening the Silo. —Feeding, of course, commences from the 
top, so the decayed silage should be removed froni the entire sur¬ 
face. Be sure to remove all of it, and its use as fertilizer on the 
field is’ the safest method of disposing of it. “How soon can one 
feed after filling the silo?” it is often asked. One could commence 
at once, but of course fermentation sets in quickly and the silage 
for some time would be like green corn which has been piled up 
and allowed to heat. It spoils quickly when exposed to air, and 
gets a bad odor and flavor. Professors Dox and Neidig of Arnes 
College state, in Research Bulletin No. 10, that “Esten and Mason 
have shown that fermentation proceeds very rapidly after filling the 
silo and that the changes are practically complete at the end of two 
weeksso that after that time would be the best time to commence 
feeding the silage 
Co-operation in Filling .—If every silo owner owned his own 
