The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-02-10
ENSlLAGE.
THE sILOs IN USE IN DUCHESS
COUNTY, NEW YORK.
An Examination Of Their Results The Com.
pAratIve Cost Of New and Old Methods
Of Curing Fodder.

Armenia, N. Y, Jan. 1S, 18Sl.-The
translation of M. Gofsrt's book on the
"Ensilsge Of Maize," and the success of
DR.. Bailey's experiments in the French
system at BilleIiCa, Mass, have been po.
tent, with other influences, in causing q
good many farmers, here and there, dur
ing the last year, to construct expensive
silOs for the preservation Of corn fodder.
In Armenia and its neighborhood in
Duchess county, DR.. William H, Tanner
James F. Chaffee and Jacob Pugsley
built in August large and CapaCious re-
ceptacles of this description, which have
been in active use for some weeks. So
great has beer the interest in these ex.
periments here that DR.. Tanner, one Of
the farmers referred to, lately gave invi-
tations to a considerable number of his
neighbors vino would be most likely to
epjoy the exhibition, to visit his silo and
see the ensilage, as we'll ss witness the
distribution OF 1t to his large herd Of
milch cove. A good.sizsd company of
US accordingly met there, and gave the
subject our best attention. We at once
passed through the excavated cavern OF
maize directly into the silo, and made
inquisitive inspection of all that con-
Cerned it. ...
1t was a pleasing and novel sight.
Nothing attached to the farm, or con.
neCted with the farmers vocation since
the moving machine began to cut its
first swathes, has had 80 much to offer in
the way of practical benefits, or piquant
curiosity, as the institution Of the silO.
We found the ensilage here we'll pre-.
served, and Of excellent quality. The
doctor said that there had been little
leakage Of air into the clio at the door.
way, owing to slight imperfection in
Mastering up the door after the silo was
filed; and as a result a single corn.
basketful of this ensilage was found un
ct for use, and was thrown away. After
the removal of this, the rest appeared to
be in perfect order, and has been dis.
pensed for three weeks, as a single ra.
tion, In connection with other feed, to
his COWS that are giving milk. These
eighty.six in number-were standing
haltered to their stalls as we entered
the barn, and we saw the foreman and
his assistant take the ensilage from the
silo-which is entered on the rear of one
of the lines Of cows-and scatter it at the
rate of something more than a peck to
each COW. A bushel and half basket
was divided between four and FIVE COWS.
They all ate it greedily, although attrac
tive little tubs of meal stood in the mid.
die distance between the two rows of
heads for distribution later in the day.
When it was first offered in November,
a few of them, as we have been told is
usually the case, did not take it at once.
But only few were faEtidious; and, af
ter making the discovery that it was re-
ally good, which they very soon did, no |
further instruction was necessary.
While standing within the silo several
of the spectators pulled out from under
the plank covering the adjacent sections
not yet cut down, samples Of the ensilsge
nearest to the layer OF straw. and which,
it was supposed, might possibly get etsome
detriment from the outside air. But
nothing serious could be discovered.
Some Of us tasted of it and found it moist
and of that acid favor which indicates
acetic fermentation-a condition which
is expected and desirable. Next to the
walls Of the si!o, in 2 few places where
the cement had not been smoothly laid
on the stone, part of the ensilage ex
hibited dry mould, but not to any ex.
tent or depth. 1t was rather strange, in
fact, that some serious failure had not
happened to that part of The corn which
had not been cut as M. Goffart pre-.
sCribes: for the knives OF the cutting md
chine were found dull, the doctor said,
when it was too late for him to stop and
apply remedy, and 80 considerable
part of the corn, instead of being cut in
to pieces-as it should have been--a lit.
tie less than half an inch long, was torn
rather than cut, and many pieces OF the
leaves were. to be discovered several
inches long. 1t was owing to such q cir
cumstanCe as this, NJ. Goffart says in his
book, that he lost an entire crop during
his early eXperiments-from the fact |
that the long leaves prevented the prep
aration of the compact, pulpy mass
whih is necessary to secure a perfect
exclusion OF the air. In this case the
rule was disobeyed inpart, without fail
are but it is a true rule, nevertheless
and those who make silos should hold it
n respect. ".. 't,a 9h a
Butt am, perhaps, wandering from Doc
,or Tanners silo. The impression it
made upon the farmers who had con.
Vened there was one of uniform satisfac.
tion. It was certain that the ensllage
before Hs was good and wholesome; that
The COWS ate it before our eyes and had
4 glossy, well-kept look that was at least
We knew, to be sure, that
this was not all owing 10 the ensilage;
Tor they had every day, in addition to
this and some hay, two messes Of mixed /
meal, composed Of hominy! CHOPS and
cotton seed meal, in part. Still, when
the doctor increased this meal and added
the eneilage In November, simultaneous
" be found an increase In his milk pro
duct that the extra meal alone would
scarcely account for. He is feeding the
ensilage slowly now, In order to be sure
TO have a sufficient supply for the spring
months, when rations Of green feed will
be more valuable. Before long he ex-
poets to double the allotment to each
COW, and at this rate Of feeding, will |
still have enough to carry his large herd
through without missing mess, to the
spring pastuTsge. sgot
asked the doctor how the expense of
putting his corn in the silo would bear
comparison with the expense of gather