The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-03-19
AGRICULTURE.

| AGRICULTURE.
THE LARaEsT S1Lo IN THIS COUNTRY.
The we'll known New York da'rv-
men blessrs. Whitman and Burrel.
Little Fails, have expressed their faith
IN the revived doctrine Of ensilage by
| building and filing the largest silo in
the country. 1t measures fifty-six feet
| In length and Is sixteen feet wide.
with an inside depth of twentv-two
feet. The soil was taken ont for three
| feet below the bottom of the siIo. and
| this space hlled In with cobhlestones,
upon these walls. three feet thick were
laid and pointed both outside and in
side. The bottom Of the siIo w:s paved
with stone on top Of the cobble and tho
whole interior grouted with Portland
cement. A brick partition twenty
lnches th!ck, and grouted with cement
olYldes the interior crosswise into two
compartments. These compartments
! were hi,co with corn fodder cut
| when the ears were still in
milk. A cuttlng.machine run by steam.
power was kept busy seven days cut
| ting tne fodder, while three men dis
| tripulea ana tramped 1t down in the
slto. ABOUT two hundred tons of fod-
| ger were packed In each compartment.
1t has Deen estimated that the fod der
cost, after the work was done, about
eighty cents per ton. The covering of
the sllo consists Of boards sixteen feet
long, tongued and grooved together In
sections three and one half feet wide,
LAID across them to bind tho sections
ana these were covered with other
planks together. On top of these there
are fifty tons of stone in each silo, The
construction Of tho stlo cost 81 800.
The result OF this expensive expert
ment Will be awaited with interest by
largo class OF farmers who are still
doubtful OF the efficacy and practiblity
| or the ensilage system also by others
who Contemplate giving it trial In a
small way.
MEANS or Corn IMPROVEMENT. The
increased yield in the crop by virtue
Of an improvement in tho variety Of
the corn Is rot the only good result of
careful selection Of seed. There Is an
other and possibly greater, benefit
that is not 80 universally understood.
1t Is the Improvement in the stand of
early growing corn that Is secured.
The failure Of seed to germinate after
it has been planted, is exceedingly an
noying TO The farmer, and Is attended
with much loss Of time aud labor. Ey-
cry farmer understands the importance
)
| excess Of moisture and lack Of heat,
| however, are often a serious drawback
TO early planting. The germ Is liable
to perish and the grain to decay. Corn
grown upon geo rich soil, IN winch Is
| found every nutrient constituent
that is Gravel and which had 20 ID till
age and Il full measure of time for
growth, possesses vigorous Vitality
and Will live through adverse circum-
stances which would be fatal to corn
grown upon impoverished soil and
with poor tilage. All secdsmen un-
derstahd the importance OF this prin--
clple, and give to it great attention.
Tho farmer therefore should select bis
seed from the corn that has grown up
on the best soil and under the most
favorable circumstances. 1t should
have been neither topped nor cut up,
| and should be gathered before the
tormsand frosts Of winter have set in.
| at tune of gathering, every ear that at
a glance seems to he a proper ear for
seed should be thrown aside. The mo st
| convenient time for this is when the
corn Is being shoveled in the crib. AT
the earliest convenient opportunity,
say upon the first rainy day, the farmer
should make more careful culling Of
the corn thus land aside.
WINTER Eoas.-The receipt of ten
dozen large, splendid fresh December
eggs, puts us in mind that there must
be profit as. Well US a knack in pro-
duclng tihem. What u dish Is fresh
ham and eggs for Christmasl First
get the breed and give the food. Hot
boiled potatoes, mashed when hot with
wheat bran and Indiu meal well stirr-
cd in Is excellent food. Corn Is the
tavorltc. Mix occasionally cayenne
pepper in the breakfast. Keep gravel
and sand. old lime mortar, powdered
bones, oyster shells, chalk and char
coal in sight. Fresh pure water is rel
ishcd; 80 are cabbage leaves, slices Of
turnips. potatoes and apples. Scrape
from the butchers shop are first rate.
You must feed If you want winter
eggs.
MANUREs AND COMPoSTs.-On many
farms well situated Tor the purpose, u
great accumulation may be made at'no
considerable expense Of material suit
ed to increase the manure pile. Re-
fuse vegetable and animal matters, out
OF place elsewhere, will add to the
bulk and value Of the compost heap;
and the spare time, If not the contin-
uod labor at this season Of u hand an d
oart, may be advantagcouSly occupied
in getting such substances.
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