Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-06
Agricultural Topics.


Agricultural Topics.
Timely Treated BY Good Authority.
A. d. Hopkins writes to the Goe1tsy
Gentleman from Jackson county, W. VSy
about cheap barn which he has Du'it
and which answers his purposes as wen as
= much more expensive structure Ine
size of the building is 26 by 100 feet: The
frame is made of poles from to inches
in diameter, tho pests are IA feet long,
and stand on sills about foot from the
ground. the sills resting on large stones.
It is boarded up at each end aud seven
feet on each side, seven feet above being
left open for convenience in filling with
bay. 1t shelters 140 shceps, 10 COWS, and
40 tons of hay, and was built by myself and
three common farm handsat cost of 500.
l have used this building two winters, and
expect it to last more, and pay for itself
about five time in saving feed, &c. do
not have the least intention Of ever build
ing barn that will cost $a 900, for / can
build one on the above plan with sawed
frame, that will not cost over $500, and it
will suit mo better.
Varieties Of Strawberries.
The editor of the Germantown Telegraph
in answer to inquiries for the best varieties
Of strawberries makes this answer: "Cap-
tain Jack. Seth Boyden, Triomphe de
Gand, and Sharpless. The latter we have
not tried, being satisfied with the two first
named, and thus far preferring Captain
Jack, a bed of which at this writing
looks as promising as any We
have over seen. OF course We
can only speak thus early of the appearance
Of the plant as it came through the Gn-
usually severe winter. In flavor it is as
good as the best of any other that we have
yet grown in size as large as the largest !;
in production equal to if not i'll advance of
any other variety. Soil and locality have
as much effect upon this as upon any other
fruit. We have seen fine, abundant crops
Of varieties that we had long abandoned
as next to worthless, and therefore can
speak only as to our own experience and
that of our growers with whom We have
interchanged views. We have raised
splendid crops of Triomphe de Gand, also
Of Seth BOydcn, the latter being sometimes
especially large and good. Sharpless is
spoken of by some Of those who have
grown it in high terms, for its size and ex-
cellence, and it might be advantageous for
those who raise considerable quantities OF
SCrawDerTlcS CO give IL u IIldI.
Cheap SiIO In u Barn Basement.
In answer to a correspondent inquirins
about cheap silO in q barn basement
80 X 40 and s feet high the Country Gen.
tle,aan says: We suppose your barn floor
is about IA feet wide, and the mows on
each side 13 feet wide or thcreabouts. II
YOU can spare 13 from one end of your
basement. you may make a silO for about
$50 or $50, which will hold 70 tons Of ensi.
lage. If there is moro space than you
want, you may extend it only half way
across the end Of the basement, Or else
make it narrower. The first thing to dc
is to see that there arc sufficient horizon.
tai timbers to hold the vertical planks in
place then surround the intended space
with 2-inch hemlock pianks spiked to
these timbers; the plank may extend up.
wards two or three feet above the barn
floor. They need not be planed OF
matched. Give them good heavy coat
of crude petroleum Oh both sides before
OR after setting them, as may be most
convenient. Cover them. outside with
tarrcd building paper to make them air'
tight. and outside these nail rough inch
boards. The 2-inch plank, tarred paper
and inch boards will secure the contents
from any frost which can enter the base
ment.
1t will save much labor in winter feed
ing if a plank door, opening below or il
the basement is provided. This may bt
secured with crossbars till needed for use
and only small portion of the ensilage
next to it need be thrown out above il
order to get at it, Through this door the
contents are easily conveyed in baskets OF
wheelbarrOwS to the stables on the same
level.
Some arrangement with screws may be
devised for pressing the fodder, but as you
are experimenting the first year, it viii
probably be less trouble to resort to the
common and simple way Of loadiny the
plank covers with stones, sand OR earth
which require no further care after being
placed in position.
There are two ways to fill the silo. L
you have no suitable horsepower and
stalk-cutter, you may throw the green
fodder from the load rs it stands on the
barn floor directly into the silo. to be vel
trodden down or pounded with heavy
wooden Founders, as each successive layel
is deposited. In this case this foddeI
should be sown SO thickly in the furrOws
that it will not grow larger; the stalk.
SIouil Nob Uc al Hull LII u!duiclcI. VI IEt
cattle will reject q portion. For this pun
pose three or four bushels Of seed will bt
required for an acre, on rich ground. IL
however, You have trcad-power and
stalk-cutter, you may use large stalks
which. if cut not more than three-fourths
of an inch long, will be entirely eaten. If
you have but one pair of horses on your
small farm, you may cut and draw load
to the barn floor, then remove the horses
to the horse power, and while one man is
feeding the machine the other will pitch
the fodder off the load to him, the stalk
cutter being SO placed that the chopped
stalks will be discharged directly into the
silo. A third man will level, tread and
pound the stalks as they fall or the two
men may do this work as each load is fin
ished.