Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1881-05-19
AGRICULTURAL.
Experience with Ensilage.

experience in growing and preserving
corn fodder green. l was induced tt
make the experiment from reading
book, purchased at your Office last
spring, on the subject Of Ensilage O
Maize, written by NJ. Auguste Goffart
My silo is simply pit dug in the
ground, which it was my intention tc
have walled up. but seeing that ]
would not be able to get it done in
time, thought would try it without
The dimensions Of the pit are sixty feet
long, ak feet deep, with sloping sides,
twelve feet wide at the top and ten
feet at the bottom.
For the purpose Of filling this pit I
sowed four and a-balf acres of corn in
rows, three feet apart, at the rate Of
three pecks per acre; sowed about the
middle Of July, marked it out with a
.orrow pillow, and covered with cul-
t:vator; did not Use any fertilizers; cu|-
,iyated it twice and commenced cut
ting lst of October. 1t was then IN
blossom and in the right condition to
make ensilage. Cut it with reaper
ard bound it in bundles with rye straw
hauled to the feed cutter on hay car.
riages; set cutter at the edge Of the pit
80 that it would throw the 70 1der when
cut into the PVT. Run tie cutter with
four. horse engine, cutting in one-quar-
ter inch lengths; kept it we'll tranped
down all the time; put horse on 10
tramp after we got it filled two or three
feet. Put about half a ton Of straw on
the bottom and about the same on top,
and covered it over with foot Of earth
and built fodder house over it all.
We opened it about the middle Of
November; found it spoi!t about three
inches on top and around the sides
lest about four or five tons in this way
it is best to have it as much in a body
as possible The less surface we have
the less per cent. Of loss, as come alter.
alton will always take place on the
surface. After taking three inches of
the top found it looking pretty much
the sams as when it was put init Is
slightly acid.
Commenced feeding il TO cows
they did not eat it at first with much
relish, but after day or two they be-
came very fond Of it, and would eat it
in preference to the best of hay; none
of them have ever yet left any IN Their
troughs. l give them twenty pounds
a, feed twice day, and also about
bushel cut dry fodder and three
quarts corn meal and wheat bran
mixed twice a day on the ensilage.
The cows are thoroughbred and grade
Jerseys, they keep in thrifty condition.
and 80 do the calves; had several o.
them to weigh over one hundred
pounds at two weeks old. My fresh
COWS make an average Of six pounds OF
butter per week, making it cost me for
feed about twenty cents per pound,
leaving the manure and skim milk to
pay for labor. don't think 1t affects
the quality Of the butter any. WI
test it next winter by feeding half 10
COWS on dry fodder and half on gree
fodder, giving them the same value
worth to each, keering the milk An
butter separate and sending to mark
IN separate boxes.
II epsilage could be made witho1
undergoing any fermentation, that
If fodder could be preserved witbo
undergoing any fermentation before
after ensilaging, | think it would ma
better feed. This might be scco'
pllsbed by putting up perpend'cul
walls Of masonry, cementing the'o, a
COMPRISING the ensilase with boar
and heavy weights. ! will try bd
ways next fall.
1t cost me to produce my ens,l,
about four dollars per ton; bad sbou'
ona quarter Of a mile to haul it to the
pit; cost about one dollar and twenty
fva cents per ton to get from the hele
and put it in the pit; half Of this cos
could have been saved by sowing thu
fodder near the pit. and if l bad sowee
nv corn about the LIST OF June, ane
sowsd the largest variety OF corn
could have gotten, ! would have bat
at least double as much fodder. Th
came kind Of ground I grew this fod
der on. right by the side Of it. mad
me fourteen barrels Of good sound corn