The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-08-05
yue 9arm.
GREEN FODDER ALL THE YEAR.
Practical Experience With the New
Ensilage system, and Valuable
Hints to- Farmers


as fast as cut, dnu may De cut III any Ntdlu-
er except during the rain. After running
through the cutting machine it is deposited
and trod into the pit firmly until the pit IS
full. This doorway at the end OF this PIT
having been closed, by placing boards across
it upon the inside as the filing progressed,
is now sealed tightly by placing other boards
properly fastened across it upon the outside
of the lambs and filling the space between
the jambs with well compacted earth,
SO that no air can pass the pit through
this doorway; the outer covers are then
placed temporarily upon the necks OF this
Dit above and covered over with earth to
the level of the ground above. A second
and, if the cutting force be large enough.
a third pit may then be filled, sealed and
covered like the first. After the first pit
has been closed about thirty-six hours the
necks must be uncovered and opened. The
contents will be found very warm and thor.
oughly wilted, and upon being now trodden
down will occupy less than one-half, and if
clover, not more than one fourth of the pit.
The pit should then be filled again, trodden
firmly and covered again temporarily as be-
fore. The second and third pits should
then be opened and filled a second time in
the SAM manner as the first one. Each pit
should now be open and refilledl as before at
intervals of from twenty tour to thirty hours,
the contents at each time being trodden
Town as firmly and evenly as possible, and
this should be continued until settling near
ly or quite ceases and the pits are full. Salt
should be sprinkled occasionally over the
fodder while the pits are being filed. The
pits being now full, and settling having near
" or quite ceased, must be Immediately and
thoroughly sealed over the whole top sur
face of the fodder by a we'll compacted layer
of clean earth not less than SIX inches thick.
If the pits are arched over, they should be
filled fullest along the centre line OF the
arch, and must be sealed from the spring of
the arch upon the curve which be caused by
this fulness In the centre, to prevent the
earth from falling away or opening cracks
at the sides in further setting. This cover
ing of earth should be afterwards examined
at least twice at intervals of a week or ten
days, and any cracks that appear be closed
with fresh earth. y covering OF straw or
hay not more than two inches thick may be
laid over the fodder before the earth cover
ing is applied, but this is immaterial other
than as a matter of Geatness. In feeding,
the fodder should be cut down and fed from
one end Of the pit IN sections of convenient
width, the earth being first removed from
each section. If open pits are used a layer
of hay or straw may be put over the pit
when filled and sealed, to protect the con-
tents from frost III winter, If necessary. |
have not found any pressure or weight upon
the fodder other than the earth covering re-
auired. If additional weight is desired. a
heavier covering of earth will accomplish
this and make the sealing at the same time
more perfect.
MIXING FODDER IN THE PITS.
Much advantage will be gained by mixing
clover and grass 10 which clover predomi-
mates In the same pit through fodder corn,
millet or sorghum. The clover becomes
after the first fermentation a putty like mass,
which fills the interstices IN coarser and
more Gbrous fodder, and thus makes the
whole much more compact and weIghty than
it would otherwise be, while it improves the
quality OF the food.
Among all our products in the Northern
States there IS none which will be more en-
HANGED in value by this system than red
clover. By it this is rendered the most
easily preserved without detriment of all
our grasses. n we'll, built up with an S-inch
brick wall In cement, II feet IN diameter, 80
feet deep, with d roof, MINDLESS and bucket
will preserve perfectly and deliver for use
the whole clover product gilmore than TWEEN
ty acres of fertile land. | recently put the
the fairly heavy clover from sixteen acres
into a space a feet long, l3 feet wide and
10 feet deep. But the bereft of this sys-
tenn when applied throughout the country
In preserving fodder corn, sorghum, and
the large millets will be incalculable. These
crops, hitherto the most difficult, uncertain
and expensive to cure and preserves become
the surest, easiest and least expensive In
these respects, while they are among the
richest and best milk and butter producing
foods known. BY this system the whole
southern portion of our country where the
tame grasses are not grown is at once FUR
nished with a means every where applicable
and easily practicable by which their cattle
may be fed and :attened il winter and
summer as wei, and nearly or quite as
where tame grasses abound. Who shall
say how important an agency corn, sorghum
and clover wells and pits, which will be
practically everlasting and will save two
thirds the labor and all the waste in curing
and preserving these CT ops, too safely to re-
quire insurance, and in one-twentieth of the
present space, may not yet have in making
This land of liberty. nni0n and nrnpress also