The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-04-23
, le.,aiz;Iz.0 rHlE :sl.s- TA1T. }

pits are lined with Gnnc,et. made u rub
hle and Rosedale cement. The arc solid
and substantial These are the sllos
which hold the ensilage.
Now let rs 80 back to the method "i
planting the special kind Of corn. The
term SD.ciM is hardly worthy of com
menting upon, and need be no bugbear.
because the seed can be most readily
and is not III TIE least eXpen-
Sive. There are rood reasons for using
1t: one is because Of its luxuriancc al
growth, and that. in our climate. it con
ItinS the ma ior part Of the nutritious
qualities in the stalk and leaves before il
e"es to the seed, and that by cutting ii
down in time we can get the utmost adj
vantage out of the vegetation. Mr.. Mills
s"ws 1t in drills three inches wide. with
spaces OF three feet clear open soil be-
tween the drills. Ties" drills are heavily
seeded. In time the held looks is il, II
were planted solid. though the intrrven-
ing spaces give the plants light and air.
1t Is planted III May. and cut about the
middle or end Of September, when it is
some eight TO ten feet high. The pro-
duet is about sixty tons per acre. of green
stalks and leaves. Mr.. Mills planted
some thirteen acres. not more; and from
the yield. $50 tons gross of green stun
cut. lie feeds his 12U cattle. This very
snail amount of land. used for this pur-
pose, seems wonderful. Just as soon as
the corn is ready, which is distinguish
able by the taSSeling and the formation
of Il few nubbinS, i'll 60 the men. who
lay it low. 1t is at once carried to the
barn. where are the siloS. The green
stalks and leaves are submitted to the
action of ordinary cutting machines, the
only precautiuu necessary being tiiat the
knives be kept as sharp as possible. so
that the green stuff shall not lie bruised,
Mr.. Mills idea being that by rough ia.,l-
ling the juices are expelled. ana to that
extent air takes its place III the cells OF
the plaut-a thing to be avoided as much
as possible. Two cutting machines are
used. which make the fodder into lengths
Of one-hal' and one inch.
Now to describe the method OF filing
the silos. The cuttnr" machines deliver
the green stun into the cement-lined pits,
the capacity OF each being 800 tons. As
the material goes in it IS not troideI on
but worke'! evenly int" the SiluS by chang.
ing the direction of the delivery " hen
the pit is full. level with TIE floor. :,
wooden case is placed like u fence around
the PIT, Which case is scventy-iive pei
cent. III height OF the depth of the pit.
iur the cnSllage Ivy compression sinks
about this much. The pit being twenty
tcct deep. When it and the Iil'teen-lu
ease are iuli. then the hole mass al
green material Is covered over with stout
wuoden pianks. made in sections. Thes,
Secti6iIa! covers are among the most I'M.
purtant ;tdIuncts OF the silnS, and in thail
proper construction a great deal of the
success OF the operation depends. These
covers are made o! two-inch- thick spruce
plank, t'mgucd and grooved. and tirml,
pattened together. Hour feet wide an,
one inch less III length than the width u
the slio. As the >l.o Is forty feet long
1t Will take ten oil them To cover it. The
object III making them only four feet
vide will bt apparent later. Now whel
the sllo or pit Is iul OF green stuff. even
To the level OF the fifteen feet additional
the sectional covers are put ON the greet
stuff, and these are weighted evenly anc
carefully.
The whole secret Of enSiia3e depend.
upon L simple mechanical one. that OF
perfectly even continuous compression
The air must be excluded. and also tn,
ambient moisture. Mr.. Mills weight:
down his covers by distributing on top O
each Sllo illIy tons ui gram or yrount
iced in bags which he aiterward uses t,
mix with his ensil@ge at time OF feeding
| He recommends, iii case grain is no
handy, that barrels be filled with grave
or sand, and used Tor the same purpose
As soon us the wei. hted cover, are ap
| pied. the mass gradually sinks. until il
reaches Il level With the floor. and i, III,
pit has been properly constructed. afte
! the sinking down is concluded, the pits
| OF siloS, are exactly filled. In about tel
| days the mass has come down to its bear
! in.s. In two weeks after it has been pu
down it is ready to use, and the opera
ton is completed.
Now let us explain the reason why the
covers were made sectional. AS a cove
is taken off it exposes :: surface four fee
vide and twenty feet deep and not any
more. This is cut down into for feet
with siX-tined fork clean to the bottom
as the ensilage is used. All the rest q
the mass is covered. and has it's weigh
, and compression the sam j.. thereby keep
ing out the air aud all tendencies to fer
mentation. As the ensilage is taken i
may be fed to cattle at once, but Mr.
! Mills thinks it better to leave that por
! ton intended for L feed. when t.iiiei
/ from the silo, to lcnain exposed for ,.
| hours. Some slight Fermentation thel
ensues, which apparently is advantagcou
| to the cattle. When one silo, cover b,
/ cover. is taken of and used. the mas:
being cut into from top to bottom uuti
/ exhausted. the other comes into play
| At Arrareek Farm one siio llaG been uset
up and about one half of the other. TIL,
eusilaue gave out Il sweet vinous Odur
had nothing in the least disagreeabl,
about it. and was rather pleasant to tn,
! tLste. 1t was not warm nor heated, an,
! ON COMPRISING the stalks the iuic,
exuded. This cnsilage was used in the
proportion of one bushel per diem fo
| each COW, divided into two feeds. ant
with it was mixed about two quarts %
wheat bran or midtllings. This was al
I the feed the aninals-cuws and horses
mad had during the Winter, and The
horses looked quite as handsome as thu
cows.
Now as to questions of cost. These
two siios, built i'll the most substantial
>ty]e. cost $3.50 each, or 800 for the two
fine absolute expenses Of making the
crop. preparing the ground, seeding. har
vcstlng, eating the green stun. and put
ing it i'll the siloS. WAS $500. Capita
| being 500 employed Ill the silnS. the i'll
tcrc>t at six per cent being $50. and de
mcclatun on silus. say. twenty per cent
which would be the very outside for al
possible repairs. we have, at the very
ntmu.,t. the cost Of the ensilase to be
ii u: per ton, ami this is Il most liber,
estimate.
Now suppose We make M th. cost n
keeping these cattle for the hay alone
The expenses would have beer certainly
III lSSO-Sl, for hay, some IS, 600. With
the use OF the cnsil;.ge. Mr.. Mills has alb
Solutely demonstrated that he wintereo
his 120 head of cattle and - horses. -:
head in all. from the 18th OF October t,
the 18th Of May next. seven months. al
an expense OF $3.50, or that each animal
ate AN amount the cost of which at the
highest estimate was 500. The differ
ence. then. between 5000 for hay. and
say even 500 for enSiiagc, would show a
b,lance TO the credit OF the latter o!
=. 300.
Now rs to the products derived from
these ensilagc tetl cattle. II would be
impossible for stch fat. healthy cattle
not To give the best ni milk. Mr.. Mills
produces large quantity of milk, the
demand for which /, 50 great that it is
hryond his capabilities nf supply. The
, rld of milk is exceedingly large. fal
beyond that usually given in Winter by
hay fed or even soft led cows. and this