The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-06-23
farm aud Wardeil.
Ensilage.

to be discovery of great value to the
farmer, and may almost revolutionlze
agriculture, particularly In sections not
adapted to grass growing. 10 those OF
our readers who may not have seen a
description of ensilage, we state that 1t Is
the preservation of green forage in sllos,
or pits. Corn fodder has been princi-
pal1y used for the purpose. Various
depths have been adopted for the pits,
varying from to Is feet Where water
is easily reached, part of the receptacle
is put above ground, being bricked up.
1t is best to dig the pits under shelter,
but they are frequently located In the
open air. The system was first practiced
by M. Gofart, of France. After many
years of experiments, he seems to have
perfected it, and has described it in a
little work (Which has been translated)
entitled 1.-The Ensilage of Maize" We
quote from letter recently addressed to
The Tuckahoe Farmers Club" of Hem
rico, by DIR. Banister of Amelia, on this
subject: Happily there has recently
been introduced to us from Europe, a
mode of providing winter food for stock
of all kinds, which is comparatively in
expensive, and capable of supplying in
abundant quantity forage of high
order of excellence. 1t is accessible to
any farmer who can command the SER
vices of feed-cutter, driven by horses or
other power Such is the ensilage of
green vegetation, but especially of corn
upon which the club applies to me for in
formation" The Doctor farther on says
l will here detail the process by which
my intelligent Scotch neighbor, Mr.
Thomas Hunter, in avoiding single
blunder of mine, attained perfect sue
cess. His silo, pit, was dug in heavy
clay soil, under part of his wagon shed.
Its dimensions were: 10 feet in depth,
the same in width, and 90 feet in length.
The shed was open on tie west, and on
this side. from the bottom of the pit to its
top, planks were nailed to studs intro
duced at intervals, so as to cover that
side. The other three sides and bottom
were left as they were dug; without
facing of any kind. The result proved
that In this instance none was required.
But the winter was exceptionally dry.
M. Goffart recommends brick walls for
the purpose J brick thick, cemented.
and the bottom coated with concrete.
M. Gofart's soil is very wet one, water
being struck at 30 feet; he makes the pit
63 feet below the surface, and digs
ditch all around and below the bottom of
the pit, and raises the rest of the recep-
tacle above the ground Boards will
generally answer the purpose, and if dug
under shelter in clay land, no doubt ali
protection to the sides may be dispensed
with. If dug in the open air, an arti-
tcial root of shingles, or plank, must be
used, for If the forage gets wet it is
ruined. DR.. Banister further SAYS "The
sllo (Mr. Hunters was filled in the early
days of October. Cut down with the or
binary corn knife, the corn was i'm
medltely hauled to the silo, passed atonce
through a horsepower feed-cutter, and
shoyeled as fast as cut up into it, the mass
all the while being kept well trampled
The work was continued from day to
day until the silo was filed. About two
inches of straw was put over the mass.
and upon this boards were placed across
the pit at right angles to its long di-
ameter. Upon these boards weights
were put. Bricks, stone, bags filed
with sand, &c, are used, and the pres
sure should be 1000 pounds to the
square yaru. continuous pressure is the
secret of success. This excludes all air.
there is no fermentation, and the forage
is perfectly preserved. Il con- to the
acre, it is claimed, can be supported bv
ensllage, and there seems no reasonable
limit to the production of beef, milk.
butter, and cheese from our lands, if we
will manure and fertilize sufficiently to
produce good crops of corn fodder. By
the great increase of stock possible by
tins system, we shall have great increase
of manure
The Northern farmers are eagerly
adopting this system, and by high cui-
tivation claim that they are raising 40
and 90 tons per acre ofcorn fodder. M.
Gottart says he raised 40 tons per acre,
on land originally very poor, by putting
phosphate to his stable manure, and we
presume potash, as he remarks that is an
important element for the corn crop.
The Northern farmers are also ensilaeing
rye in the spring for summer soiline and
are keeping great numbers of cattle upon
small surfaces.
We think this system is destined to
work great good for our State. and par
ticularly for tide watera and middle Vir-
ginia. If it iswhat is claimed for il. and
what it seems to be, these two sections
oop baoCroo c,roo4 otoo1-