Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-08-20
VOL. LIV. NEW SERIE
AGRICULTURAL.


ESSILAGE IN VERMONT.
Nh. GilbertIMo-ton, of Essex, Vt, writes
to the Country Gentleman, on the ques
ton OF ensilage, as follows:
1t is amusing to hear the skeptics pitch
into DR.. Bailey because he is in the ad,
vance for reform. l find farmers are
quite old fogyish. l have no doubt OF
DR.. Bailey's success, and believed in
Mr.. Morris statement last year about
earthen silos or trenches proved il
mvself last winter l wrote DR.. Bailey
as soon as I saw his letter in your paper,
and he kindly sent directions which l am
following, and have the wall of silo
nearly completed, IS feet long, 10 feet
deep and u feet wide, with a partition
wall across in tie centre, giving me two
silos get the work done for As cents q
perch. The masons haul the stone and
do all the mason work, plas.ering, point
ing and e1cavating.
have seven acres of corn planted ;
some of il is now tasseling out. Some Of
nv farmer friends look at my silo and
grin at what the old sen captain is doing
but have little mule sense, and, by
having two small silos, can fill as my
corn comes to maturity. You can see
this will be a cheap silo. 1 am the only
one, as far as know, in the vicinity that
has commenced they all tell me they
viii watch mine this winter, and if l suc-
coed they will try it next year.
In the seven acres of corn have plant
ed have done all the work myself, ex-
cept two days plowing 1 have large
1,3e0 pound mare that does all my break
ing up. When the plow would strike a
stone 1 used to swear now l take out my
Greek testament and read a passage.
with all my farm work have found
time to study 4 little Latin and Greek. }
l have thirteen cows, raised eight calves,
and sowed five acres Of oats. l am now
cutting and feeding them 10 cows until
corn is larger.
l have Just done ilaying, cutting about
So tons, and all the help l have had is a
boy II years old. l am 6l years old !;
only four years ashore 45 years at sea /;
got my health by coming up to the old
homestead and going to work /; no head
aches now / was never rs happy in my
life homeyard bound. ] have some corn
procured of DIR. Bailey, which is the best
1 have seen, and YOU shall know how
much it produces to the acre.
ELDERDERRy wI,SE.
Ellerberry wine is the pride OF English
housewives, and we have often regretted
to see enormous quantities Of the berries
going to waste i'll Ireland because people
do not understand how to turn them to
account Elderberry wine is much used
in the manufacture or aIulteration of
port wine. 1. is, however, a very whole
some wine, when properly made, which
is more than can be said for other mate
rials used IN the process of adulteration.
Now as to the manner in which elderber-
ry wine is prepared To one gallon of
water put two quarts Of ripe elderber-
ries. Boil for half an hour then strain
through a hair sieve or canvas bag, and
to every gallon of liquor add three pounds
of coarse sugar and ounce of mixed
cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Let it be
boiled again for fully half an hour, and
as the scum rises remove it. When cool
ed to the proper temperature-that is.
when lukewarm-fermept with little
yeast on piece of toast. Let it stand in
the tub three or four days, covered over
with cloth /; then put into the cnsk,
with one pound of raisins to each gallon
of wine. The venting of the cask must
be loose. When the fermentation has
wholly ceased, rack off the wine into an
other cask, taking care to leave out any
sediment. In filling the cask into which
the wine is first put, see that the wine is
not higher than three or our inches of the
top. When fermentation has ceased, put
in the burg but DO not tighten it, and
remove it occasionally for a few days
Then drive in the bung, and cover with
brown paper pasted over the bung, to
keep i. perfectly air tight Some add
quart of brandy to the contents of the
cask, but this is not essential IN two
monthsthe ysne eill be it use wnsE>>;
used it should be mulled Observe, the
berries must beperfectly ripe, and should
be gathered when dry. AS some Of our
readers may wish to make elderberry
wine when the season arrives, We hope
they will preserve the foregoing direc-
tions, and so save any necessity for re-
peating them. Wine is also made from
elder rtlovers-Irish Farmers Gazette.