The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-04-09
FARMERS COLUMN.
The NeVv winter Fodder.

The New winter Fodder.
No proposed change in tme-honorej
methods Of agriculture has excited so deep
an interest among progressive farmers as the
recent ex .,oriments in preserving green for
age or, % in silos or cement Tined pits. One
Of the earliest adveDturers in this new field
was our OLD friend Mr.. Clark w. Mills, Of
Arrareck farm, near Pompton, Nj.
We have vivid remembrance Of bis dis
appointment with his FIRST experiment,
which was tim 'ly an excavation into which
the green corn stalks were placed and GOV
cred with straw and earth, as well as the
good-natured manner with which he accept
ed and endured the unsparing ridicuiO Of
tue "natives" OF that section Of New Jersey.
Nothing daunted, however, the following
season he excavated a pit in his barn,
walled up the sides, and subsequently &C.
mented il. The result was SO gratifying
that he extended its size and added another,
until his silos are now as extensive us any
in the country, and his success last year
was SO encouraging that he is now winter
ing l20 head Of horned cattle and IL horses
without pound of hay, and he is confident
that he will bring his entire stock through
until May weather furnishes grazing. His
store Of ensilage Tor " COW kraut," as faceti-
Gus farmers style the preserved fodder) was
gathered from less than thirteen acres OF
land. and it is simply the stalks Of indian
corn, cut when green into half-inch lengths,
aud packed in silos under pressure so tight
ly as to exclude the air. Mr.. Mills csti
mates the entire cost Of his supply Of about
600 tons-including seed, tillage, gathering
cutting and packing ready for reeding-at
less than $500. When it is remembered
that a sufficient amount of hay 10 answer
the same purpose would have cost as much
as $500, tho virtue of the new process will
be recognized.
Recently a number Of gentlemen from
various parts ofNew Jersey visited Arrareek
farm to make personal inspection Of the
method OF preparing the ensiage, and of its
fcsuits. III tlc pultS NeIS luS llOu' OdHics
Bishop, Chief of the State Bureau of Stats-
tics; Professor George II. Cook, of the Agri-
cultural College, and State Geologst Tbeo.
dore West, Superintendent, and A. r. NealC,
Chemist of the State Experimental Farm,
besides several prominent stock raisers. In
the building there was not wisp OF hay.
The building is so feet long, and in it are
two pits, each lOxl3 feet and 20 feet deer,
with perpendicular walls of concrete. One
soils has been emptied and n part of the COW
or had been removed from the other and the
ensiage cut down to the bottom, leaving Il
perpendicular wall Of the food for insLec-
ton.
Mr.. Mills has found that the freshly cut
corn stalks can he compressed in bulk near
ly half, and he therefore places frame
OF plank, l5 feet high, and Of the same
length and width as tho silo, on top of the
coucrete wall, and this he fills also. Upon
the whole mass-with the plank addition
making depth Of 3j feet--a cover Of
plank is laid, of such size as TO slide
down within the huge box. This is heavi-
ly loaled, aud in few days the cove. will
haye pressed the mass so that its top will be
on the level with the floor Of the barn when
the temporary frame is removed. The
cover is Of two-inch plank, made in Sec
lions, each four feet wide, Of matched stuff
and firmly batlened, with the buttens of
each end projecting and fitting into those Of
the next one, so that, with the weight even
ly distributed, it all moves downward to-
gother. The sections are an inch shorter
than the width of the pit, leaving place
for gas and air 10 escape as the cover goes
down. The weight used is nearly fifty
tons, and in this case was composed of
grain in sacks, which is ground for feed
and il is taken Off when needed. Of course
The material Of the weight may be anything
sufficiently ponderous, but it should be of a
nature that can be readily handled, and
whose actual ayoirdupois can be known.
Mr.. Mills ensiage was perfectly preserv-
ed from the top layer to the bottom. When
tub ihS eOlu illusS " IS Oi u DIOWIlsu-
green color, and has slightly acid taste.
II has gone through no cheating process"
but before feeding it is laid out in q heap
for few days to irrment slightly, when it
emits q pleasant vinous aroma. The cattle
devour it eagerly, aud their appearance
seems to prove its heaithfulness, while the
abundant milk the cows produce is Of the
best quality.
Mr.. Mills feeds less grain than farmers
ordinarily use IN hay-ied dalrcs. A full
variety of Southern corn is planted closely
in drills, aud it is cut after the iasscl an.
pears and the ears begin to set. Professor
Cook, who has analysed enslage from a
dozen localities, pronounced the prompton
product Of the first quality, and he thinks
the various devces mere used have reduced
the system To state approaching perfection.
All the experts present were convinced tnal
the new process would work something
like revolution in dairy farming ana
stock raising, which will be readily believ-
cd when It is remembered that more than
so 900 tons of hay are now needed every
year to feed the horses and cattle of the
country through our long and cold winters.