Bee-Sting Factor Preserves Silage Formic acid, a naturally oc curring compound that puts the "ouch" in a bee sling, may also help cattle gain weight, a U.S. Department of Agricul ture scientist reported recently. Cattle fed unwilled silage don’t gain well. This is be cause they don’t like to eat much of it, Dr. Dale R. Waldo, a USDA cattle nutritionist, told Die annual meeting of the American Dairy Science Associ ation in Ithaca, N.Y. An average of three trials conducted in 1965 and 1966, however, shows that silage treated with formic acid sus tained dairy heifers so well that they gained 11 percent faster than heifers fed hay cut from the same field. Since heif ers on treated silage got no more digestible energy than those on hay, the digestible energy in treated silage must have been used more efficient ly, Waldo said. That may make formic acid Serving Southeastern Pennsylvania 'Mixing Plant & Feed Warehouse, Birdsboro, Pa. look doubly attractive to the cattle producer. First, it makes silage production practical where wet weather prevents field wilting, because treat ment overcomes the low taste appeal of unwilled silage. Sec ond, cattlemen can count upon increased energy value from their feed. Returns, although consistent ly good, have varied, the nu tritionist reported. In a 1966 trial with alfalfa, heifer gains with treated silage were 15 percent greater than with hay. In a 1965 orchardgrass trial, the advantage was 14 percent. And in a 1966 orchardgrass trial, four percent. Waldo hopes to further clarify the economic advantages of formic acid. Formic acid, found natural ly in bee venom, is also avail able as an industrial chemical. The cost of Waldo’s treatment (one pound of undiluted 90 percent synthetic commercial formic acid per 200 pounds of orchardgrass) is $2 per ton, but he hopes that further stud ies on the amount and method of application will i educe the cost. • Have You Heard (Continued from Pago 11) is out of place in public. Unload your pockets they aren’t designed as carryalls in most clothing. Keep your toenails even and clean. Hang dresses up after wear- WHAT’S NEWS? Give LANCASTER FARMING a call. or drop us a card, if you have farming news to report, a sale coming up, a coming event to schedule. Our columns are for you to use. Please sign all items. |ancaster Phone: 626-2191 or 394-3047 Lancaster Farming, Saturday. July 1,1967' ing to avoid wrinkles. Press when needed and sit carefully to avoid wrinkles in the back of your skirts. Re-hem slips that show with an even hem. Replace safety pins with the MANUFACTURERS OF Complete Line of Dairy Feeds Poultry Feeds Steer Feeds Swine Feeds Guinea Pig & Rabbit Feeds ROWN'S irdsboro Sinking Spring fastenings or should be there Wear a strapless bra or fa bra straps with a small I holder to avoid straps show. Keep your legs free of and unsightly hair. farming P. O. Box 266 Lititz, Pa., 17543 FEEDS SONS, INC. Fleetwood buttons