The Republican journal., 1881-06-23
Written for the Republican Journal. :
Books for Farmers.

EcnO Dale arm, Dover, Mass, gives the
history of his own experiments in ensil-
age, and also the statements of twenty
five other practical farmers in different
parts of the country. He says in his pre-
face
Il think the subject is well explained
ID the book by practical workers, so that
any farmer can build his silo and have
perfect success with Ensilage by simply
following the directions in the book. All
the instructions and experiments given
in this book are practical. 1t is work
which should be read by every farmer.
This subject must be thoroughly under
stood and will be practised by every pro-
gresslge farmer. us there is no doubt in
my mind that the practical workings of
EnSilage will create a revolution in the
whole system Of farming
The reports of experiments embraced
IN this volume are uniformly favorable,
and the most enthusiastic expectations
with regard to the future benefits of this
system to the average farmer, are enter
tanned. The journal, however, is in
clined to discount these expectations. 1t
does not believe that eusilage will prove
to be all that is claimed for if, and it does
not advise farmers OF limited means to
build silos just yet Those who have
time and money to spare may however
put the system to the test and in due sea-
son we shall know its real value. The
agitation of this question has already
been productive of good, by directing at
teuti0n to the manner of curing hay and
to the value OF forage crops. We fully
endorse the opinions Of Mr.. Lang, pub
lished last week, upon the former subject
Of the latter Young Farmer writes to the
Boston J0urnal
$50 much has been said the past Win
tel in all agricultural papers in regard to
the value of corn fodder for ensiage that
| DO not need to enlarge upon it, but will
remind those who have not vet decided
To- put in siIos that it is also very good to
feed green when the pastures get a little
short, and if they do not get short you
can easily cure it for winter use, and it is
a good substitute for English hay. By
sowing it in drills about three feet apart,
and leaving the stalks three or four inches
apart in the drill. / have grown a crop
which must have been not less than forty
tons ot green fodder to the acre, upon
land that was not very strong or very
heavily manurcd, though it was good corn
land This, when well cured, was worth
more To me than five tons of hay. This
| Judge by the amount of stock it fed
when ! was feeding that alone. This
was soWn quite late in June, but it would
have been less labor to cure it if it had
been sown earlier, as then | could have
cut it earlier, and would have had better
weather for curing it. OF course, if any
part Of it is needed for feeding while
green, it is an object to have it reach the
point where it is most nutritious (Which,
luckily for the farmer, is when it has made
q full gr0Wth) about the time the tassels
are in full bloom. BY sowing early in
June il may reach this point in August,
which will naturally be about the time
our pastures will be dry and scanty in
Iced.
Nov, when little labor (and not
much more than is necessary to cut and
cure a large crop Of hay) Will give us a
crop that is equal in feeding value to five
and perhaps ten, tons OF good English
lay. on an acre of land that now will not
-ut much more than half ton, it seems
strange TO me that farmers will not put
more sowed corn into the ground: and
indeed. | think the area devoted to that
crop will be this year nearly double what
it was last year in Eastern Massachusetts,
and more than ten times what it was ten
wears ago SO farmers are learning some
-a.ag OF the value of this crop"
Progressive farmers should at least post
themselves concerning siloS and ensilage,
aud the extremely low price at which
N. Stevens book is sold, % cents, places
within reach of all, and any one desir-
.l. acOpy can have it sent to his address,
0r sending that sum to Ii. K. Stevens,
Boston Mass.
TWENTY EIGHTH REPORT OF THE
MASSACHUSETTS BOARD. John E. Rus
sell. Secretary of the Massachusetts Board
NJ Agriculture, presents the twenty eighth
annual report OF that body-that for
$50. This work constitutes a volume
Jntaining many facts, both interesting
aHd important to the farmers of the New
England States. Having enumerated
The proposition that well enriched land
stocked down to grass is the most i'm
p0rtant property of our FARMS he says
hat the hay crop of 1875 amounted to
Glib tons, and as the improved land of
l~-U exceeds that assessed in 1873 by27-
H8 acres, there is a large relative in
creaSe of moving land, and therefore of
The most valuable property OF the farmer.
"EnsiIaging" green crops is commented
upon, and the conclusion is reached that
while the system therefor has in it's Oper-
alton met no check, it can he valuable
only as an auxiliary in feeding stock as
the fodder treated under it is supplement-
I'd by large amounts of meal and bran.
The next place in Importance is given to
dairy products, of which the prediction
made that they are to increase both in
magnitude and in value, and the asser-
ION put forth that the purity of milk, of
which there are often grave doubts, may
be insured by direct dealing between
farmers and consumers, such a result
having been secured by that means both
in London and Paris. The corn crop,
owing to Western competition is shown to
be slowly decreasing in amount. Of
sheep husbandry, it is affirmed that while
it is almost crminally neglected, there is
no more profitable business for farmers.
The rapid growth Of the poultry business
is commented upon and commended, al
though no figures relative to it, later than
those of 1873, are given. Gardening, it
is said, is another branch Of the agricul-
tural system that has largely increased
since the last census in 1875, the demand
for Winter fruits and vegetables in New
York being largely supplied by the skill
tul gardeners of Massachusetts, The
finest rosebuds, grapes, tomatoes, lettuce,
cucumbers, and other growths of similar
character come from their greenhouses,
and they may largely extend their bust
hess by growing edible fungi that are now
imported from France or produced to a
limited extent by the gardeners Of New
Jersey.
The report contains the papers read at
the last meeting of the board and the an
uual statement of the Massachusetts Ag
rcultural College.