Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-06-15
miscellaneous.
Suggestions Abeut Ensilase.

From present appearances there seems
no Doubt that good many farmers will
try their hand with ensilage the coming
season. The following suggestions are
offered for what they are worth by one
who writes simply from observation:
The pressure required to preserve the
crop may be obtained by means Of COM
mon jack-screws, such as are used by
building movers, much more conveniently
and cheaply than by the cumbersome
loads of stones frequently used. We will
suppose the silo to be Of masonry. sixteen
feet wide, and Of any length. The cover
ing planks will 60 crosswise.; across these
or lengthwise the silo, two timbers, six
inches square. may be placed four feet
from either side, and about twelve feet
long, to carry the jack-screws. Over
these should be stationary timbers framed
across the pit. 50 as to carry the weight
Of the roof when the strain of the screws
is applied to them. and also tied down by
iron bolts reaching several feet into the
stone-work below. Four screws will an
swer for silo any size, for the screws can
be replaced by studs or shores, and re-
moved from one section to the next. One
man can easily exert pressure OF sever
al tons with this appliance and probably
would need to follow it up daily for week
or more after filling the silo. In case the
silo is partly filled with rye or clover.
and afterward filled up with corn, the
covering can be easily taken off and put
on again by this arrangement.
The owner Of less than eight or ten
cows will hardly care to go into the busI-
ness. unless he can easily borrow or hire
the machinery for cutting the fodder.
This machinery. costing several hundred
dollars, will soon be readily hired if there
is a demand for it by small farmers.
The fodder is not a complete ration like
good rowen hay. 1t is best supplement-
ed by cotton seed or linseed meal, shorts
or middlings. The chief value of the en-
silage system will perhaps be found to be
in the relish given to the stock by the sue
culent fodder. Roots, as is well known,
are useful in this way, but are too expen-
sve to be profitable, while ensilage is
comparatively very cheap.
If ensilage can be successfully used, the
farmer may be able to sell some OF his
English hay. without exhausting his farm.
since he will buy shorts or oil cake to feed
his increased herds along with the ensi
lage, thus increasing the fertility of the
soil. Some OF the best farmers now buy
considerable quantities Of shorts to feed
with dry corn slower and meal, and sell
English hay. With ensilage this way of
working might be increased.
The almost universal testimony of those
who have tried ensilage is to the effect
that it is reished by the cattle, and that
they thrive remarkably well upon it; that
the milk and butter are first rate even in
winter. There can be no question that
the corn fodder can be grown much more
cheaply than roots. hay. or any other kind
of fodder whatever, and | see no good
reason why it should not be very largely
used in future The statements of some
writer's, however, that two tons of en-
silage are equivalent in feeding value to
one ton of good English hay need veriii-
cation by more extended experience be-
fore they will be generally believed
w. ID. Phiidriok IN american Cultiratcr.