The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-07-26
COLUMN.
EiisiIage.

without, probably, their having obtained
very distinct idea of the process. Joel Ben
ton, in the New York Sun, gives brief but
very comprehensive account of the process Of
casilage, portion Of which we copy below |
for the benefit of the readers Of the ADoocArE .
who are not vet fully enlightened on this
new step in agricultural process
"The word ensilage means, literally, in a
pit, or trench, and stands for the system by
which corn or any other green fodder is pre-
served by burial in tlie ground. 1t is also
used, metaphorically, for the fodder 50 pre-
served. That it is a valuable discovery
there is now little room to doubt and its ad
vocates, although they have not yet caught
the popular ear-for new discoveries move
slowly-beleve it is destined to work a great
revolution in agriculture, The inventor Of
this new mode Of preserving green fodder
and thereby carrying the succulence Of sum
mer food through the year. is NJ. Auguste
Goffart a member of the Central Agricultur-
al Society Of France. His work was not
brought to perfection until many failures
had strewn the way, but its success is now
unquestoned, and has won for him the dis
tnction of Chcealicy dc Ia Legion d Hon
Heur.
an. Gollart was prompted to his expert
ments by noticing that the COW which gave
such excellent milk, and butter of such fine
flavor in summer when eating grass, fur
nished in winter, when the same grass is
turned into hay, a very different milk, and
pale, inspid butter. He observed, also, that
store cattle thrive on green pasture, but that
the hay from the same field, even when iu-
diciously fed, will not preserve them from
frequent deterioration. Even where cattle
do well on hay, it is surprising how much
better the same fodder, If it could be kept
as grass, would serve the purpose. The mere
process of making hay, therefore, or of cur
ing stalks is a process of loss. The fine odors
and best qualities are exhaled. The special
aroma departs. Then, too, there are sudden
rains and driving storms to prevent good
hay-making and stalkcurng. twas med
itation of these facts, which any one might
have considered, that led NJ. Goifart on. He
claims to have made thousands of expert
ments, and to have continued them for a
period of twenty-five years.
"What is it that NJ. Gofiart does? lie
digs trenches or pits in the ground, so pro-
tected that water cannot flow or leak into
them, and then covers their sides with Port
land cement. This silo, or ditch, he finds is
best made in an elliptical form, and with
vertical walls 1t is easier to use it in that
shape and will prove more durable. 1t
should be made as large as is consistent with
economical use, since tho keeping qualities
of the best pit are not quite so perfect on the
sides as elsewhere. OF course the less side
space there is-the less necessity of packing
in contact with the air, or near 1.-THE bet
ter.
ain the receptacle we have described, the
stalks of corn or other fodder are placed
but not until they are first cut in small pieces
by powerful feed-cutter. "The iinenes
to which | cut my maize" says NJ. Goilart
sat the moment of insilation, is extremely
important in view Of good preservation
Cut in disks of only one centimetere thicl
(about four. tenths of an. inch), the maz,
packs better in the silo it occupies less space
and takes the form and consistency of {
species of pulp, leaving in its mass the leas
possible amount Of air. In proportion as tn,
length is inscribed, the preservation becomes
less perfect and finishes by being entirely
detective And here we come to the mail
consideration Of preserving green fodder
viz: tie exclusion Of air. Formerly this enc
was not so perfectly attained as it now is
owing to the attempt to mix with the greer
Ieaiage dry straw which it was suppose,
would help preserve it, as well as to tn,
economy of the operation. NJ. Goflart say
he has used on occasion, wheat, oat and ry,
straw with his ensilage. But the keeping
power decreased as the straw increased .
fift'eth in volume, or a tenth in weight
was the maximum OF what the maize coul,
carry without being exposed to an early al
teration.' This is attributed to the fact tina
the straw takes up too much of the waite
from the green plants. In fact, dehydrada
tion ought not to ensue, because the watc
is wanted not only for the ensilage itseli
but 10 keep out the air. THE moist condi
tion of the ensilage, instead of being tn
cause Of deterioration, is, on the contrary, t
a certain extent indispensable to the preser
walton of the whole NATTER And the plal
now is to bury the stalks of the plant tina
is to be preserved, almost without any mix
ture.
"The slo, when all is ready, should b
filled as rapidly as possible, and the layer
should be kept level during'the process. 9Th
greater the compression the greater will
the preservation The wall should be YER
smoothe, and the utmost care must be tax
en- to have the packing against these don
with absolute perfection. In France, a VIC
man walks continually around on the stalk
to be compressed, but in this country, a bo
or two, well watched and directed, woul
serve the purpose. When the silo lis file
to the top and carefully leveled, spread o
tne suIIdce snort slIaW lOuf or uNe Genuine
teres' Tor about two inches) thick; the
place on top of this boards fitting close t,
gether. These should be put across the sill
in order that when it is being fed out the
may be taken off one by one as the silo is CT
down vertically On top of this Aoorr
must be piled a very heavy weight
matter what-of logs, stones, brick, or din
80 as to secure a continuous density, and Il
perfect exclusion ofair. Dirt is rather o
jectionable, however, asIt is liable to S.
through,
"This last act completes the process, al
the fodder so treated remains for months,
until green grass and corn grow again,
the moist, succulent condition in which
was taken from the fields the season previo,
Perhaps the inventor of this plan is nol
too enthusiastic when he calls it his pl
found conviction that the culture and en-
lage of maize is destined to cause a compl