Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-05-02
agricultural department.
E0l
ENSILAGE.

grass to grow Where out one grew DeIore,
now if eau induce some of our farmers
to raise twenty tons of fodder where
they have raised one before, my efforts
will not have been in vain aud may be
a public benefit. | firmly believe that
this matter of ensilage is destined to
make greater revolution in the agri-
cultural interests of the New England
States than any discovery or industry
that has ever been introduced, and |
would call the attention of the farmer
readers of the MONITOR to what Mr..
John Winslow of Portland, Maine, a
gentleman we'll known throug hout New
England says upon this subject, he says:
"Early in 1878 l commenced to study
up this business and heard of it in
France. The great drawback in all the
works l have seen on the subject and
which place it beyond the reach of the
average farmer, is the expense of the
silos. In France where the business
originated, they have no cheap lumber,
so they are obliged to build of stone
l have demonstrated that this is useless,
we have silos in Maine costing $500,
this is more than many of our farms are
worth. l was the first in this State to
60 into this business, and it has proved
a perfect success. | was satisfied from
the first that common wood silos above
ground was what we wanted and would
answer the purpose, and l went forward
accordingly For my first experiment
took three box stalls in my stable, about
twelve feet long, seven feet wide and
seven feet high. | had some early corn
fodder which l cut and mixed with
green clover; then had some oats on
new ground that were full of thistles,
these | cut green and put into another
stall; then filled up the last one with
fresh grass, oats that were full of weeds
and thistles, and any coarse green stuff
l could find, one of these opened in
about month and the cattle would eat
1t In preference to green grass. In my
stable the bays run below the floor into
a cellar, they are 10 feet wide and 20
feet back, l boarded up one of these and
filled in between the boarding with saw
dust the same as for an ice house.
put into this, and small brick silo
had underground, about 100 tons of
fodder cut green. l opened the one
made of wood and fed from it till it was
gone, it kept perfectly except little all
around next the boarding which became
mouldy, by mixing with the other the
cattle ate it all up clean, and would eat
it in preference to the best of hay. With
my brick silo under ground did moi
succeed SO we'll on account of not get.
ting 1t tight, SO that water got in from
the outside and spoiled about two feet
of the bottom. Cows fed on this will
keep up their flow of milk and be il
good condition without grain. There i:
no better way to make silo than tt
board up an ordinary bay in barn, 81
that it will be smooth and tight on the
inside, and if the bays run below tn,
floor all the better. There must be NJ
projections upon the inside as they stol
the fodder from settling lower, anc
allow the air to come in, which cause
the ensilage to rot on the edges. Tn,
fodder should be cut in pieces fve-eighth
of an inch long, machine to do thi
will cost $85, can be run by singh
horse power. This work should be don
by parties the same as they 60 round t
thresh grain, or a neighborhood coul,
club together and own machine tina
could do the work for all. 1t is impor
tant that the silo should be high, a
thereby we get more perfect pressure
Great care should be taken in filling t
keep the fodder in the silo even an
tread it solid as it is very importar
that it should be thoroughly trodde
and packed, after the whole is file
boards or plank should be laid over an
weighted with about three tons of stor
to every ten feet square, this shoul
stand at least six months before bein
opened. This matter of keeping ems
lage is no longer an experiment, l ha,
demonstrated it to a certainty, and the
is no need of building extensive silo
This business is within the reach of ii
smallest farmers. My cows gave on
third more milk when fed on ensila,
than when fed Oh the best of hay"
Now who among our Orleans coun
farmers will be the one to take the i
itial step in this matter which is sure
eventually become one of the most il
portant industries ever yet introduc
among our farmers? G. W. McG.
Tag your sheep before the grass star
The tags are comparatively clean, a
quite proportion of them can be us
at shearing time or otherwise dispos
of. 1t is good plan to take some 2
inch ScanfliDo four feet IN lanoth q