Reasons why every farmer who keeps live stock should have a silo: 1. The silo preserves the palatability and succulence of the green corn plant for winter feeding. 2. It helps to make use of the entire corn plant. The silo increases the live stock capacity of the farm. 4. Silage is a good summer feed when pastures are short. 5. Because of the small amount of ground space required by the silo it is an economical means of storing forage. 6. The silo prevents waste of corn stalks, leaves and husks, which contain about two-fifths of the feeding value of the corn plant. 7. The silo located near the feed manger is an assurance of having feed near at hand in stormy as well as fair weather. 8. The silo assists in reducing the cost of gains in fattening cattle and sheep. 9. Silage greatly increases the milk flow during the winter season and decreases the cost of production. IO. There are no stalks to bother in the manure when corn is put into the silo. FARM MACHINERY NEEDS CARE Every third farm in Indiana has about seventy-five dollars' worth of farm machinery standing in the open, unsheltered from the snow and sleet of winter. Of course this is an estimate, but is based on observations over the state for a number of years and is felt to be quite conservative. This figure represents an average investment of twenty-five dollars per farm in tools that apparently the owners do not consider worth housing. To be sure there are communities where few implements are left outside, yet on a very great number of farms practically every implement from the gar den hoe to the grain binder remains to rust and to ruin where it was last used. A machine shed is the first step in the handling of farm tools. Every man in the country who owns an automobile has a specially built garage or some suitable shelter for this particular machine. He knows that it would be poor business to leave the auto outside subject to the elements. Is it not as necessary that the grain binder, the mowing machine, the corn plows, the corn planter be placed under cover and protected? INDIANA FARM STATISTICS The following data concerning Indiana farms and farm products was prepared by the Bureau of Satistics: Total number farms (5 acres or over) Jan. 1, 1917. Acreage Acres land leased or rented Acres of waste land Acres in pasture land Acres in timber land Silos 216,361 21,957,454 4,719,650 794,553 4,297,074 1,859,366 252,995 24,616 41,009 18,649,266 Bu. Corn produced in 1916.... 4,352,414 133,798,790 Bu. Oats produced in 1916. 1,782,215 48,863,703 Bu. Rye produced in 1916... Barley produced in 1916.. 12,850 240,602 Bu. Buckwheat produced in 1916... 13,370 130,311 Bu. Potatoes-Irish and sweet pro duced for market in 1916... 33,621 1,247,897 Bu. Onions produced for market in 1916 All fruit produced for market in 1916 FIGHTING WITH DOLLARS FRANK E. HERING, VICE-DIRECTOR WAR-SAVINGS My country is at war. I realize this when I see the soldiers marching down the street on their way to the trains that are to carry them to camp or to transport ships bound for France. I realize it when I see the service flags that hang in my neighbors' window-one, two, three, four of them are visible from where I am writing. I realize it when I read in the newspapers the reports of the first casualties among our boys "over there." There is a restless undercurrent always in motion beneath the calm surface of every-day affairs that keeps me from forgetting even for an hour that the United States is taking part in the greatest struggle that has ever been fought since the beginning of the world—the greatest not only because of the number of nations and the number of men taking part in it, but because of the principle that is at stake. My country, with its Allies, is fighting for the freedom of the world. It is very easy indeed to realize that my country is at war. But it is not so easy to realize that my country's war is my war. I am too far away from the sound of the guns. Even though one of my brothers and many of my neighbors have marched off to join the colors; even though, on account of war prices, I must make last year's shabby shoes do for this |