Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-01-04
HOLSTER & sons SIIO.

~ ''N rs " 'ANt ph'7@s Ntoit'i NuO STU W
Messrs. A J Hollister & Sons. North Mont
pelier. This was built and filled last sea-
son. and at the time of our visit they had
been feeding from it about 3 weeks. The
pit is built in an angle formed nv two
barns which Join at the corners, aed is
covered nv a lean-to roof from the main
barn. The lilo is 80 bv Is feet outside.
and 10 feet deep Of this. 8 feet is excavrt.
ed, and feet built above ground. The
lower 8 feet is wall built of split granite
laid on the cemented bottom, and cement
cd or pointed up. thought it is not laid
up in mortar. Above the wall il frame
foot high boarded inside and out. inside
with matched holrds In r1s pit the en-
silrge stands feet inches in depth. 10
tons of the top of which is of corn fodder,
from which the ears were picked for huSk
inc the crop, and the fod Ter cut and pnt
on tho fodder corn ont and packed before.
This has not kert as well as the fodder
corn, not being iucv enough to keep well
and moulding. The silo cost Sl71 IS all
finished, which includes all the work done
on it. Of this, Mr. H. reckoned SO DAYS
farm labor at one dollar per day (the men
helping 10 the chores on the farm): 90 per
day for man and team; lumber at $40 per
thousand; and stone at what he would
have had to pay for them il he had bought
fhnnnh ba had than about bo ba;
cement $40; plank for covering 1878
He planted acres with Sanford corn. Of
which an acre proved of no value, leaving
) acres of fiddler which began ensiling
September 1t took four day. to I'll the
pit or rather to put in the fodder (for there
was not enough to I'll the silo), and it took
a. cost Of $40 per day, and the 10 tons of
corn fodder put in afterwards at q cost of
s. The weighing of the silo cost So two
m m doing II in a day; and bv device we
have suggested to several who have used
cobbIe stones, viz, barrels filled wi
sand which with some large stones which
~ NN'i, wv ltNiIiS Dtll6lS tHOuOn, tDuSI
have given him pressure of about 800
pounds per Sq1re foot. "a pressure sniff.
cient TO expel some of the mice at the bot
tom where the fodder has been taken ont
Mr.. II. calculated from his weighing
and measuring thai he had Is tons of en-
silaoe in the pit, and of this he had feu
one-third when we were there. He has
AZ head # cattle, and the average ration
for II cow per dav is 10 lbs of hay, 5 lbs.
crrn fodder an 30 lbs ensilage, no meal
AMI considers he ensilage equal in value
to half its weight in hay.
He thinks it would require 80 pounds of
nav per dtv for Il COW and believes 6n
pounds of enslage would do rs WELL bur
considers it better to feed enSiIage with
dry fodder. He is keeping IL head more
cattle this year than last, beside one woke
of oxen half the winter; is intending to
raise no calves and has set his stakes at
keeping 100 COWS in four years from now.
He took up his COWS the first week IN
vember from rowen and pumpkins,
aud fed ensilage and there was no failing
off in milk. His crop for ensiIage was
raised at cost which he estimates as fol-
lows: Flowing per acre, 50, which We
thinks low; narrowing and marking, 81 L;
planting. 80; seed, 10 cents; cultivating
twice. - Ga one acre he put 81 worth
of phosphate. on the rest 10 IDS of manure
per acre. Three acres in the drill and one
acre spre Ut brOaic tst; corn the bes
where the mtnure was spread on. He
OnS erred the manure worth 3 so per
load, which would make Sl2 per acre tor
manure, against 80 Tor phosphate, whch
We understood them to say gave about the
sane yield. Mr.. II used the Sanford corn
for his seed, which we think is mistake
We believe it the most valuable variety 10
feel green, as it is very sweet, but in
ensling it the fermentation has changed
the sugar TO vinegar, and the more sugar,
the IN IRE vinegar, and Mr.. II. $ ensil tye
is the solrest, that is the III ,st acil OF an,
we nave seen, though REORGANIZATION hats
gone no further Than in other sios We have
visited. With the southern white corn
ensllsts will get Il much heavier growtn
with less sugar and consequently less vim
vgtr. We have never seen sample OF
ensIage as Mr.. GOtfart (irs di7coverer)
claims it should be, and is done by hi IL .
HE says, 1T is above all important to
avoid all kinds of fermentation during and
after ensiing;" and again, When ensil
age is fed out it should be exposed to the
AR fifteen Or twenty hours in orer thai
alc"hoic fermentation miy commence,
OtnlIcs ours), and ag tin. g Ii was hard J
exposed TO the air when it underwent ,
verilabe change; the brownish color be
came senSIbly green, the b. ginning o
alcoholic fermentation took place wihou
exceeding The limits which that fermenta
uon ought never to ptss.' SO it seems
with ali the enthusiasm OF ensiIlsts ovep
what has been done, they have not reached
the point were ensilage is nearly at 1t.
best
We cannot as yet point out the cause o
the failure, but hope to discover 1t SOME
or later. 1t is not in the INSULT lien
weighing ii hardly seems possible that i
Is in the construction Of the silo, and tina
we must look in othel directions for th,
cause. But one thing is certain, that with
the pnsilsge as it is, every man who ha,
had silo speaks warmly in praise 0
them.