Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-08-06
FARM AND FIRESIDE.

FARM AND FIRESIDE.
REPLIES TO QUESTIONS ON ENsILAGE.
IF corn-fodder is so much better kept
green, would it not also pay to secure our.
grass the same way ?'' This question is
asked by M. of Vermont. In reply will
say that for feeding, there is no doubt-hut
that a grass crop would be worth twice as
much preserved by ensilage as by drying.
I have ensilaged this season Is tons of
grass and about go tons of green rye. The
! land upon which the rye was raised bore a
crop of fodder corn last year.. 1t was
planted again as soon as the rye was cut,
and is now green with the luxuriant ensi-
lage corn. Thus full crops can be raised
in one year even in this latitude. Better
| dry the hay, however, and sell it, and raise
| rye and corn-fodder to ensilage for the
sustenance of home stock.
| A. of Virginia. wants to know how
much sowed corn fodder it takes to contain
as much nutriment as barrel Of corn.
Now, it will depend upon how the corn is
soWed. If sowed thickly broadcast or in
drills las some who know no better recon-
mend) - to IS inches apart, it will take an
almost unlimited amount, but if the. fod-
der corn is sown in drills, three to four
feet apart, using one-half to one bushel Of
seed, and cut when it is in the full bloom
or in the milk, and allowed to pass through
| the softening and fermentiye process Of
ensilage, it will take about $50 pounds to
be equal to barrel of corn.
j r. 80 e J,ox
at 64c. per 100 pounds Ensilaged corn
fodder, containing 80 per cent. of water,
according to the most careful experiments
I have been able to make, is worth one
half as much as good hay This makes
the corn fodder thus prepared worth, on
the same basis, &c. per 100 pounds. d..
! Wolff also gives the value of corn as $1.10
per 100 pounds. Prof. Johnson gives the
value of corn meal as $1.O4 per 100 pounds;
| therefore barrel Of corn would be worth,
according to the German chemist. $30G.
| By dividing $3.0S by &C., the value of the
corn fodder, we have almost 1858 pounds as
| the amount of green corn-fodder properly
preserved) which is the equivalent of bar
rel of corn. By computing. it according to
the valuation of corn meal by Prof. John
| son, we find that 80 pounds Of ensilaged
corn-fodder is equal to barrel Of corr
ground into meal.
| S. r. is informed that judging from my
experience in ensilage corn-fodder it would
be impossible to prevent decay and loss
from the exposure Of the outside of the
ssbales'' Of green corn fodder to the action
of the oxygen in the atmosphere. filed
some glass fruit jars the last of May with
ensilage, packing it in as tightly as posi-
BILE; one jar got broken on the edge so that
| it could not be made tight. left it eX-
posed to the action Of the atmosphere. At
this time June 14thl it has decayed down
about four inches: there is still over an
| inch urinjured at the bottom. filled one
large glass jar and pasted piece of ma
nilla paper; the ensilage (which had lain
I in the silo nearly eight months) has not
changed a particle since it was packed in
the jar over six weeks ago. There are to
be seen few maggots in the decayed por-
tion Of the ensilage in the open jar; there
is, however, no disagreeable or strong odor
to it. It appears to be so completely cured
while lying in the silo, that if packed solid
ly so that the air cannot readily enter, de-
cay takes place very slowly. I shall pack
some corn-fodder fresh from the field, in
day or two, in a jar and see if it decays
faster and slower than the ensilage when
left exposed on top to the action of the at
mosphere. At all events bales Of corn
fodder with four inches Of maggotty and
| decayed matter around each bale would
not be interested articles to handle or have
about.
Ensilage soils not be successful unless right
ly done. Simple pits dug in solid and
impervious clay will answer reasonably
well, although the work and labor will be
much greater than with silos Of stone. brick
or concrete. Pits in gravelly soil, or one
that admits the free circulation of air and
water, will generally prove failures.
perceive by the articles and letters
brought out by my great expectations Of
raising 76 tons of corn-fodder upon an acre
Of land, that most farmers still SOW or drill
their corn-fodder very thickly. think it
a great mistake. use from two to three
pecks of Mammoth Ensilage seed corn to
the acre. When l have used the larger
quantity have had to thin out. Ibelieve
on land in proper condition two pecks are
ample. I think that the reason why so
small an amount Of my preserved corn
fodder is sufficient to support an animal,
is explained by my manner of raising the
same. There is no comparison between
my large, well developed stalks, covered
from the ground to the tassel with dark
green, luxuriant foliage, with from three
to nine rudimentary ears just showing
their silken hair, and the slender, colorless
stalks grown with thick seeding. Even
DR.. Loring admits that corn-fodder raised
as I raise it, and cut when in full tassel,
is a most excellent food.-Joh1a N. Bailey,
(WSmmimg Farm, Mass.), IN the Cuztivatoa'
d Country Gentleman.
"HIDE BoUND'' is not of itself a disease.
but merely symptom. The other condi
ton is certainly pathological, and calls for
treatment Commence, by feeding bran
mashes exclusively for twenty-four hours,
then give six to eight drachms Barbados
aloes, extract of hyoscyamusland and cal
omel of each one drachm, powdered soap
suficiency; make into polus. After the
physic has operated and set, give daily for
a week or ten days iodide of potassium two