Connecticut western news., 1881-09-28
ENSILAGE REGARDLESS OF FIX.
 PEN>E.

MT. Havemeyer, the wealthy sugar manufacturer, is also a wealthy farmer, but his farm only contributes to the distribution of his wealth, and not to its accumulation. As 8 means of fur thering this purpose of his farm pur- suits, this gentleman has "gone into" ensilage, and has, regardless of expense, either in construction or in operation, furnished his dairy with some silos of enormous size, made, it would seem, upon the very worst principles. How ever, it is often useful to study mistakes as well as successes, and the one are often of more value in the way of ex- perience than the other. Those who contemplate going into this new busi- ness will read with interest the follow ing report and criticism of the Have meyer s1los at Mahwah, N. J., made by MT. J. B. Brown, the author of the first book on ensilage published in America, and who has done more than any other writer on this subject to make this system popular. MT. Brown reports as follows:
 "These enormous silos are four in number, with total capacity about 1000 tons. They occupy one wing of the long cow-stable, and cover an area of about 40 by 70 feet, with depth of 33 feet. They are made of concrete IS inches thick, very true and smooth. Wooden curbs for shrinkage room rise 10 feet above the concrete walls. From this great depth the ensilage has to be raised when used, and again lowered to the feeding-foor. In this respect MT. Havemeyer has been enormously ad- vised, but it is an error easily corrected by cutting a port in each silo upon the level of the feeding-foor, which, when filling, could easily be made air-tight and smooth inside.
 1.-The cutting-machines are ponderous affairs, and which will bruise and mash the stalks while cutting them. They are such machines as have been hereto fore used in cutting rags and paper stock for paper mills having an abun- dance of power. With the long line of shafting Q50 feet) and the excellent but long elevators, they will tax the capacity of the 12.horse engines to drive one of them. The elevators are made of dou- ble rows of malleable links attached to scrapers which will raise the cut fodder in continuous cataract over the high est curb. The cutters stand in a yard about 35 feet below the top of the curb. The cost of the cutters is $500 each, and the total cost, with elevators and shaft ing, not far from $1,OOO. It is much better iii planning silos to arrange a driveway so that the stalks can be car rled direct from the field to the cutter at the top of the curb of the silo. This saves much power, which can be more proftably expended in driving the cut ter. A 6-horse engine with simpler cut ting apparatus would be ample for this work, and especially if so arranged that the cut fodder did not require to be elevated.
 "The cataract of cut maize that will pour into the dizzy depths will be a novel spectacle on 8 farm.
 "The crop is overripe, and though the stalks are not large, the pollen has fallen and the whole stalks are pithy from one end to the other. I admit that half their value for feeding has es- capped by delay.
 "Mr. Havemeyer's first effort with ensilage will not result in having it sweet, but his cattle will have better Christmas dinner than ever before, and will probably never think of thanking MT. Goffart for his invention. A great field of stalks, probably later planted, were curled and stopped by the drought at about the height of three to four feet. We shall not hear of any 1OO-ton to acre crops this year.
 "The long stable, with It's beautiful (75 Jerseys comfortably chained in their pens, was entirely free from any offensive odors. The other wing of this famous establishment contains beautiful summer and winter milk and butter rooms, which are, without doubt, the best arranged of any in this coun- try, and, of course, regardless of ex- pense. The cooling is accomplished by 400 tons of ice, stored over the top of the summer room. This is method that is unworthy of this establishment. The dampness that arises from refriger- ation with ice may not be detrimental to the milk and butter, but the leaks that it is almost impossible to prevent are already permeating the beautiful walls. Having boiler and pumps, he can very easily improve upon this sys- tenn with one of the simple refrigerating machines such as are now used in cool ing meat at 196 Front street, New York. In such machine all dampness in the air congeals upon the pipes, and tLe air is rendered perfectly dry and kept at any desired temperature, the cost be- ing small consumption of coal in the distillation of ammonia water, which IS condensed and reabsorbed over and over without waste, and in it's expan- sion through iron pipes takes up the heat from the room or from the water tanks"
 The Little Ones Grave.